Crazy Little Thing Called Love
by TARDIS1039
Summary: He's a young purple dragon who lives a carefree life, she's the adopted daughter of an malevolent dark master. Together, they must accept their destinies and set into worlds unknown in order to stop him. (AU that combines elements from Classic, Legend and Skylanders continuities)
1. Keep Yourself Alive

**Hello and welcome to yet another Spyro story! What is this, the third time I've written for Spyro? Anyway this time it's different, this time it isn't a one-shot but it's a full story! **

**So this story will combine elements from mostly the Classic and Legend continuities with a hint of Skylanders. Also I've decided to put Queen songs as the chapter titles, very similar to my other romance story It's Written in the Stars where I used Elton John songs. **

**Anyway enough of my rambling, let's get on with the story. Enjoy! **

**(CHAPTER 1: Keep Yourself Alive)**

_In The World of Dragons… A Long Time Ago. _

War raged on. Fire and brimstone rained down from the mountain that towered over the opposing factions. The many armies of Dragons, Moles and Cheetah People found themselves surrounded by hordes and hordes of Grublins, Gnorcs and Apes of varying shapes and sizes.

They were all lead by someone who would become to be only known as the Dark Master: Malefor.

Malefor stood on the top of the mountain, sitting on his haunches as he observed the chaos that was being escalated below him. A huge, muscular Gnorc with golden armour and a club came marching towards him. When the Gnorc got close to Malefor, he slammed his club on the ground and stood rigid, similar to what a soldier would do in front of their general.

"Master, the Guardians have arrived…" The Gnorc gestured towards three dragons flying towards the battlefield.

These three dragons were the Dragon Guardians, each representing the Primary elements. One was Terrador the Earth Guardian, Cyril the Ice Guardian and Volteer the Electric Guardian.

Malefor smirked evilly. "Everything is going accordingly to plan… Tell Gaul and his minions to get into their positions. They'll go on my signal…"

"Yes master…" The Gnorc nodded before heading off into the opposite direction.

**()**

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield was a armoured fire dragon with orange scales, powerful wings, yellowish orange horns and underbelly, red frills on his chin, shoulders and cheeks. These same frills also ran along with his back and tail. This dragon was Ignitus, the Fire Guardian and was the only one that was already present on the battlefield. Ignitus found himself surrounded as he hacked and slashed through waves and waves of Apes, using his claws, fire breath and tailblade to bring an end to them.

"Ignitus!"

Ignitus darted his head towards the voice of Terrador as he flew right up to him, crushing the Apes who were unfortunate enough to cross his path.

"Terrador." Ignitus said. "How are we looking from above?"

"More and more of Malefor's army surrounds us. We're getting outnumbered by the second…" Terrador informed.

"And the eggs?" Ignitus wondered, getting more concerned. "What about…?"

"We are moving the eggs as we speak…" Terrador replied calmly, putting a paw on Ignitus' shoulder. "Rest assured, the purple dragon is well hidden…"

Suddenly a huge roar erupted from the mountain. Ignitus and Terrador fearfully turned to see that the source of the roar came from Malefor, staring down at them from the top of the mountain. Their reaction was cut short by Malefor shoot a massive, bright stream of Aether towards Ignitus and Terrador, who quickly dodged out of the way. Terrador tried to fight off Malefor's Aether breath by summoning a wall of Earth between it and Ignitus, who Malefor was primarily aiming at. While the Earth wall completely crumbled before the might of Malefor's Aether breath, it gave enough time for Ignitus to escape from the firing line.

Cyril and Volteer, still high in the sky, noticed what was going and tried to attack Malefor from above using their elements. Unfortunately Malefor managed to ward off their attacks and threw it back at them by combining his ice and electricity attacks, knocking Cyril and Volteer out of the sky and down to the warzone below them.

"What's Malefor up to?" Terrador pondered as he and Ignitus observed the attack from the outskirts of the battlefield. "With that amount of power, he could've wiped out most of our army. But he seems to be directing his attacks at us…"

"He's keeping us occupied, that's for sure…" Ignitus said.

As soon as he said that, his eyes widened with realisation and quickly turned towards the horizon which the city of Warfang can be vaguely seen.

"Occupied…" Ignitus muttered. "This has all been a distraction…"

"Distraction?" Terrador raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"This battle was only intended to get the Guardians out into the open…" Ignitus explained.

Terrador's eyes also widened when he realised Malefor's plan. "So they can smash the eggs…"

"I must head to the grotto immediately…" Ignitus said as he was heading away from the battlefield.

Terrador started to follow Ignitus. "I'm coming with you…"

Ignitus stopped in his tracks and turned towards the Earth Guardian. "No. You need to stay here, Malefor will realise immediately that we're on to him if two of us are gone."

"He'll notice if you're gone. There's no denying that." Terrador argued.

'I know… but it should buy us more time before he realises..." Ignitus said.

Terrador nodded and placed a paw on Ignitus' shoulder. "May the Ancestors look after you, Ignitus…"

Ignitus gave a slight smile. "You too, old friend."

Terrador nodded and headed back into the battlefield while Ignitus strided further and further away from the battlefield until he was at a distance where he thought Malefor or his army couldn't see him then he flapped his wings, gaining altitude before taking off towards the city of Warfang.

**() **

Ignitus arrived at the Dragon Temple in a quick amount of time where he noticed that a Ape-sized hole was punched into the side of the grotto. The feelings of curiosity and worry overwhelming him, Ignitus cautiously flew down to the hole where he landed next to it as he didn't know what to expect so it wasn't wise to land directly in front of the hole.

Ignitus peered around the side of the hole to see that this theory was proven right. A few Apes were surrounding the grotto, examining the eggs that weren't taken by the moles and then tossing them away in a horrible fashion. Bodies of the moles that were to collect the remaining eggs laid there motionless with pools of blood leaking out. One particular Ape that piqued Ignitus' interest was bigger, hairer and uglier than the others. When he turned, Ignitus caught sight of a green gem that substituted for his left eye and several scars that ran across his face.

"_Gaul." _

Gaul was in the centre of the room examining the eggs opposite to the hole. As Gaul picked up a peculiar-looking black egg, Ignitus quickly rushed towards the giant Ape only for Gaul to quickly turn and shoot Ignitus with a staff that had a green gem that was brimming with magic. The magic from the staff caused Ignitus to fall at the Ape King's feet.

"How tragic really, Guardian…" Gaul chuckled. "That a mere egg can cause your downfall…"

Ignitus could only manage a glare as Gaul lifted his head with his magic staff.

"Where's the purple egg!?" Gaul demanded, snarling his teeth.

Ignitus coughed. "I would… rather die…"

This response caused Gaul to bellow with laughter, the other apes going crazy at the sound of his laughter.

"That can be arranged, dragon…" Gaul muttered as he unsheathed one of his swords and put the egg in his satchel unknowingly. He was about to stab Ignitus where a Gnorc appears out of nowhere which got the attention of Gaul.

"Gaul! The Master's forces are retreating…" The Gnorc said, out of breath. "The Dark Master requests your presence… now!"

Gaul replied with a low growl and looked back to Ignitus. "You are lucky, Guardian. Mark my words next time we meet, you'll meet your end…"

Without any hesitation, Gaul smacked Ignitus brutally with the magic staff turning the world black.

**() **

"_Ignitus…" _

"_Ignitus…" _

"_IGNITUS!" _

**ZAP!**

Ignitus woke suddenly to see the Guardians looking down at him. His vision was blurry but he could tell it was them by their scale colours. Volteer was in the middle while Terrador and Cyril were both on either side of him.

"Uh…? What happened?"

Ignitus tried to stand up but immediately fell back to the ground. Cyril and Terrador rushed to his aid and helped him get back onto his feet again.

"Reinforcements arrived not long after you left, we managed to overpower Malefor's forces and forced them to retreat…" Terrador replied.

"Then we found you here in the grotto unconscious, inert, stunned, dazed…" Volteer rambled on.

"That's quite enough Volteer…" Cyril interrupted, coldly. "What happened here, Ignitus?"

"Malefor's attack was just a distraction…" Ignitus muttered. "It was all just to get Gaul… to the grotto…" Ignitus then coughed painfully. "He was after the purple egg…"

"Did he find it?" Volteer wondered, looking around worryingly.

Ignitus shaked his head. "No… Malefor called him back before he could… but he took a egg…"

"Egg? Whose egg?" Terrador questioned.

Ignitus tried to recall the egg that Gaul took but nothing came to mind. "I… don't know…" he muttered.

Ignitus' vision finally cleared but as he looked around the destroyed grotto, he wished that it hadn't.

Eggs were everywhere. Egg shards were scattered all over the place, some that were far from their original source. Bits of egg even somehow got on the walls. Alongside the dead moles, this was a truly horrible sight, a sight sad enough to break the heart of the Fire Guardian into tiny pieces.

He was supposed to protect them. He failedhis duties. He failed the parents. He failed _them. _

"Ignitus, I know you blame yourself… but don't." Terrador assured as he saw the defeated look on Ignitus' face. "We couldn't have known what Malefor was planning…"

"I should've stayed behind…" Ignitus murmured. "then none of this would've happened…"

"Or… you would've met the same fate as these moles…" Terrador interjected. "Look while we couldn't save these eggs, there still a few dozen from the other rooms that have already been evacuated… and they need us to protect them."

Ignitus gave a slight smile. "You're right, Terrador… take Cyril and Volteer and assure that the rest of the eggs have reached the Artisan Temple… I'll take care of the purple egg and meet you there."

Terrador nodded and he, Cyril and Volteer exited the grotto via the hole that the Apes made previously and took off towards the Artisan Temple. Ignitus meanwhile headed to the door that lead into the grotto and pressed a button that was integrated in the architecture of the archway. When Ignitus pressed the button, the room began to shake as the Pool of Visions that was located in the centre of the room slowly started to move in the direction where the hole was.

Ignitus moved away from the door and went to the centre of the grotto as a platform rose from where the Pool of Visions formerly was. There was nothing on the platform besides one purple egg, perfectly intact. Ignitus smiled at the sight of the unharmed purple egg.

"I'm sorry we kept you down there, young dragon." Ignitus said as he picked up the egg and nuzzled it. "You're in safe hands now…"

**() **

"FAILED!? HOW COULD YOU HAVE FAILED!?" Malefor's voice bellowed throughout his lair, causing his army of Apes, Gnorcs and Grublins to twitch nervously in their spot.

"I'm sorry, master…" Gaul muttered, on his knees. "My Apes and I would've found the purple whelping if it wasn't for the Fire Guardian…"

"One job… I gave you one job and you failed me, Gaul!" Malefor snapped. "Maybe if I set the task to Gnasty Gnorc then he would've succeeded…" He then muttered loudly.

"I can get the purple egg, I just need more time!" Gaul growled.

"Too late, the Guardians have probably moved the purple egg to another temple by now…" Malefor frowned. "But it's only a matter of time before…"

Malefor stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of an black object that was in Gaul's satchel. He recognised the object immediately. He grabbed it from Gaul's satchel, examined it then glared angrily at the Ape King.

"Why do you have a egg in your satchel?" Malefor barked.

Gaul looked confused at Malefor's question as if he didn't know what he was talking about. "Master… I don't understand…"

"You… took an egg!? What were you going to do, cook it? Have it for afternoon tea?" Malefor questioned angrily, causing Gaul to sweat nervously.

"No… master… I…" Gaul paused to get this words together. "I'll smash it immediately, master…" Gaul said, trying to avoid Malefor's wrath.

Malefor thought about this and frowned at Gaul while examining the black egg. There was silence as tensions rose while Gaul awaited the Dark Master's reply.

"No…"

Gaul's eyes widened, not expecting that response from Malefor. "No… master?"

"No… I think this egg has potential to bring about the end of the Dragon Realms…" Malefor said as an evil smirk formed across his face. "And the end of the purple dragon too…"

Malefor started to chuckle which formed into a genuine, evil laugh which echoed across the halls of his lair.

**And… that's that chapter is finished. Hope you enjoyed it. Don't worry, Spyro will appear in the next chapter! **

**Anyway I'll be updating: This, A Tale to Tell, Written in the Stars, Marvel vs Cartoon Network: Infinite Fate and the ongoing Civil War series. **

**Coming soon will be: Civil War: Flames of War and Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. Allons-y!**


	2. The Invisible Man

**Welcome back to another chapter of Crazy Little Thing Called Love! I have a serious writer's block when it came down to the other stories on my schedule except this one so I might as well update this. Anyway last time, we saw the Guardians go up against Malefor and his army as Malefor sends Gaul to retrieve the purple egg but instead picks up a pelicular black egg. **

**So let's get on with the story then, shall we? **

**(Chapter 2: The Invisible Man) **

_The Artisan Valley, Many Years Later..._

**(SPYRO's POV) **

_BEEP! _

Uh?

_BEEP! _

Urgh… come on, five more minutes...

_BEEP! _

Ok, ok… you win... I'm getting up.

I slowly raise my head from underneath my blanket and groggily look at my alarm clock, which blaring loudly in my direction. I slowly reach my paw out to shut it up however my arm was too limp to reach for it successfully. Guess it was still waking up as well…

I try again for the second time and I was able to put my paw on top, slamming the off button on top. The room suddenly became silent. Ah… peace and quiet, almost thinks that I was about to drift off to sleep again. But no, once I'm up… there's no stopping me.

Slowly and surely, I got out of bed and began to do my morning stretches, which was basically hunching my back up while lifting my tail towards the ceiling and flexing my spine. Nothing like a good old stretch to get the blood going, ay?

With this sudden energy flowing through me, I bounded towards a table that was on the end of my bed where a small yellow dragonfly was sleeping peacefully on a makeshift hammock.

This was Sparx. He's been my best friend since well… forever. Volteer assigned him to me when I was little to get me focused on what was I doing since I apparently find it pay attention to certain things… which has never happened before, I think…

I silently move a claw towards Sparx and softly poke him. "Sparx…"

No movement, I poke him a little harder. "Sparx… wake up, buddy…"

Still no response. I looked towards his hammock and a mischievous grin started to form across my face. If this didn't wake him up then nothing would!

I slowly lifted the hammock and spun it around with the flick of my claw. The hammock started to move at a fast pace, kind of like those wheels that the moles use to parade around the Valley. The hammock eventually stopped spinning and returned to its natural position, Sparx falling onto the table, his eyes spinning around in a dazed state.

"Morning, Sparx!" I grinned.

After he regained his bearings, Sparx looked me and frowned annoyingly. He then started shaking his fist about and buzzed out angry gibberish which probably meant 'What did you do that for, Spyro!? I was having a good dream about butterflies!' or something like that. I never understood what he meant half of the time.

I waved my hands to calm him down. "Ok, ok… I'm sorry, I was just joking around…"

Sparx frowned and turned his back towards me, folding his arms.

My eyes widened with fake surprise. "Oh, are you angry at me now?"

Sparx made a buzzing noise that resembled a grumble. I rolled my eyes. Typical Sparx.

I started to head towards the door slowly. "Well… It'll be a shame. I'd hate to miss out on some of the butterflies that the sheep have obtained." I called out sarcastically.

As I reached out for the door, Sparx's mood immediately changed and was zooming around me, making an excited buzzing noise. I couldn't help but to crack a smile.

Works every time…

"Come on, Sparx… We've got things to do!" I said excitedly as I opened the door.

Sparx and I raced out through the Dragon Temple and it's many chambers before reaching towards the main gate. What I wasn't counting on was Cyril heading in the opposite direction. I skidded to a stop as soon as I saw him but unfortunately I managed to tumble right towards the Ice Guardian's feet. I looked up towards him and gave him a guilty chuckle as Cyril gave me a disapproving look.

"Spyro, my boy, do look where you are going…" he muttered.

"Sorry, Cyril… Won't happen again…" I assured, knowing damn well that it was probably going to happen again.

I got back up on my feet and headed to the gate where Cyril looked at me concerningly.

"And where might you be heading to, young one?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know… the usual." I shrugged.

Cyril sighed. "Very well… Promise me that you won't burn the sheep this time."

I stood up straight and put my hand on my heart. "I promise I won't burn the sheep."

I was _so _going to burn the sheep.

As I left the Temple, I could see Cyril rolling his eyes as he headed further into the Temple. "Hatchlings…" I could hear him mutter under his breath.

Sparx and I bounded through the Artisan Valley, zooming through moles, cheetahs and a couple of dragons here and there who all gave me annoyed looks after I nearly knocked them over.

The Artisan Valley was home. It wasn't much, but to me it was my entire world. It was small, equivalent to the size of a village. It has all the bare necessities like shops, food stalls and stuff that keeps anyone from diving into boredom. Despite the fact that the Valley was quite secluded, I was always see new faces walking around, usually in pairs, being happy and all lovey-dovey.

Happy for them, not so much for me…

Sparx and I moved away from the main town and bounded towards a clearing nearby, usually used for movie nights but not today. Today was sheep-burning day.

There were four… possibly five sheep in the area, all eating grass and minding their own business. A mischievous grin formed on my face again as I hunched down and sneaked towards them silently, as if I was the predator and they were my prey.

They were nibbling at the grass as I crept further towards them, taking one step at a time. When I got to an unsuspecting sheep, I wiggled my body in preparation for a sneak attack. Eventually I pounced towards the sheep and blasted a jet of flame in its direction. As the flame disappeared, the sheep had turn from white to black in an instant and it's wool had crumbled into dust.

Spyro, one. Sheep, nothing.

As the sheep sported a shocked look on his face, a butterfly emerged out of the nowhere. Probably got itself stuck in the sheep's wool. Sparx quickly gobbled it up and circled around me in delight.

The sheep noticed that I burnt their friend and quickly backed away from me. As if they could escape me.

As they ran around the clearing, I started to charge after them. They were fast alright but I was faster.

I eventually caught up to two of them and I blew a small amount of flame in their direction as I ran past them, Sparx consuming the butterflies that appeared.

I set my sights on a peculiar sheep that was ahead of the others. Guessing this one isn't much of a team player. Heh, I can relate…

As I came up towards the sheep, the sheep gave me a threatening bleat. I gave him a grin and head butted him to a nearby tree.

Man, what a workout. I would've kept on going if my stomach didn't decide to rumble. Sparx moved to my eyeline and pointed me back towards the valley.

"Heh, guess I forgot to eat before we left again…" I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.

Sparx replied by rolling his eyes. I turned towards the sheep, who were getting back up again and ready for a second round.

"Maybe after I toast one more sheep…?" I pleaded to Sparx with a grin.

Sparx frowned and flicked me in the nose in response. "Ok… we'll go eat." I muttered, also frowning while rubbing my nose.

**() **

Sparx lead me back into the Valley where we searched for something suitable to eat. As Sparx quickly zipped from market stall to market stall, I caught sight of a few passersby who were glancing at me either in fascination or disgust. Either way, I hated it… that's why I kept to myself most of the time. Anytime someone wants to actually talk to me, it's usually about the colour of my scales.

Sparx pointed me towards a stall that contained an assortment of meat ranging from chicken to fish. The dragon that was heading it was thin-faced, had light red scales and wore an apron with a fire pattern on it. I immediately recognised him as Alvar, a dragon who is a meat trader and a part-time chef… and a pretty good one at that.

As I headed to the stall, Alvar seemed a bit preoccupied with something, muttering to himself with his back turned.

"How's it going, Avlar?" I greeted.

My sudden appearance caused Alvar to jump, his stature becoming stiff until he turned to see that was me then he immediately sighed with relief.

"Oh, it's just you Spyro… don't sneak up on me like that!" Alvar scolded, waving his skewer at me. "You could've given me a heart attack…"

"Something bothering you?" I wondered, tilting my head slightly.

Avlar scowled. "Some ruffians have helped themselves to my meat supply…"

"Ooh, do you want me to go after them?" I asked. "I'll give them the old one-two!" I stated confidently, punching the air.

Avlar chuckled lightly. "Thanks, Spyro… But they're probably long gone… " He then clapped his hands together and placed them firmly on the stall. "So what can I get ya?"

I scratched my chin. "Hmm… I'll have the fish today…"

"An excellent choice!" Avlar exclaimed as he grabbed a fish from the stall. "That'll be three Gems…"

I glanced at Sparx, who somehow pulls out three Gems and sets them on the stall. To this day, I have no idea how or where he keeps the Gems.

Avlar took the Gems and gave me the fish. We both said goodbye to each other as Sparx and I headed back to the Temple.

**() **

I headed into the sitting area expecting to see the Guardians but none of them were present. That was odd… they're usually here eating their breakfast. They might be caught up in a meeting… Or perhaps they were avoiding the food that the Temple supplied. I don't blame them… which is why I get food from the markets.

Who I did see however was not who I wanted to see…

_Skylanders. _

The Skylanders Association is a program for any young creature to learn skills that you might need in the other realms as well as some elemental training if you were a dragon. Ignitus had tried to talk into joining, thinking that it'll be good for me to socialize with someone that wasn't Sparx, but I refused. I wasn't much of a team player plus everyone are just uptight jerks.

I was tempted to just leave as I wasn't in the mood to deal with them. But it would look weird if I just turned and left. So I carried on and sat on a corner table, eating my fish in peace but as I ate, the Skylanders were glancing over at me, giggling amongst themselves.

Why were they even here? They never go to the temple…

"Hey Lame-o!" One of the Skylanders, Eruptor shouted. Here we go again…

I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore them. Keep your temper in check, Terrador would always say… no matter how annoying they were.

"Hey, Lame-o… over here!" Eruptor continued to egg on.

I continued to ignore him while I slowly chewed on my fish. Sparx was quickly looking to Eruptor and then back to me as if he was aware that something was bound to go astray.

Before you knew it, Eruptor slammed his rock-fist-hand thing onto my table, causing a slight shake and faced me directly, ensuring that he had my attention.

"Whatcha got there? A fish?" Eruptor wondered. "Better hang on to it, Spyro… it's the only friend you got."

I scowled, the fact that he sounds much, much older compared to his actual age made his comment more serious and threatening. "Haven't you got better things to do, Eruptor?" I muttered.

Eruptor smirked. "No, I think I'm good where I am at the moment…"

"Careful, the Guardians might be nearby…" I said, sarcastically. "I'd hate you for lose to 'so called' reputation…"

It was Eruptor's turn to scowl. "I'd watch who you are speaking to, smartass. Unlike you, I have friends, people I can rely on… think you're the Guardians' special dragon? The reason they let you stay here is only because of your scale colour. But we all know that you're no legend… you're just an nuisance. Face it Spyro, you'll be alone forever… Your parents thought so, that's why they abandoned you…"

That did it. He crossed a line. I felt so angry in my life. Call me a nuisance, fine. Call me a loner, fine. But telling me that my parents abandoned me!? Absolutely not fine!

As soon as Eruptor's back was turned in order to gloat about his insults to his friends. I got up from my seat, Sparx trying to convince me not to do what I was going to do by flying in my eyeline, and let out a huge stream of fire which hit Eruptor in the back.

Since he was a Lava Monster from the volcano of Boyzitbig (yes that is a pun…) I knew that a fire blast wasn't going to hurt him. But I didn't want to hurt him, I wanted his attention.

"Oooh…" The other Skylanders exclaimed in unison.

Eruptor slowly turned back towards me, an angry look on his face. "Think you're funny, Lame-o?"

I couldn't help but smirk. "No… I'm hilarious." I taunted.

We both took a fighting stance. I could take this guy, he may be a Skylander but to me that's just a title. That doesn't mean he's better than me.

Before any of us could initiate the first hit, the Guardians all came through from another part of the Temple. They each sported shocked and disapproving looks on their faces.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Ignitus barked, frowning. I'd never seen him frown angrily at anyone before and part of me found that frightening.

Eruptor quickly regained his composure when he caught sight of Ignitus. "Guardian Ignitus, if you would allow me to explain…" He said innocently. I could tell that Ignitus wasn't fooled by Eruptor's sudden change in mood.

"No need to explain, Eruptor…" Ignitus said calmly. "But unless I'm mistaken, it seems you were tormenting young Spyro here…"

Eruptor's eyes widened. He was caught in the act. "What? He was tormenting _me_!"

"I'll be notifying Master Eon of your misbehaviour." Ignitus carried on. "As I recall, Skylanders are meant to respect all creatures both big and small. Including those we consider our enemies…"

Eruptor went to speak but ultimately couldn't find the words for an counter-argument. Ignitus turned to Volteer.

"Volteer, would you escort the Skylanders back to their clubhouse?" Ignitus asked, earning a nod from Volteer.

"Certainly, Ignitus." Volteer answered. He then turned to Eruptor and the rest of the Skylanders. "Come along, Skylanders…"

Volteer lead the Skylanders down the corridor, Eruptor giving me a death glare as he trailed behind. I responded with a grin and a cheeky wave goodbye. I looked up to see Ignitus giving me a disapproving glare and I immediately stopped.

Ignitus then turned to Cyril and Terrador and moved a certain distance from me to keep me from being nosy. Unfortunately for them, I was able to overhear their conversation.

"What should we do about Spyro?" Cyril wondered. "That's the fifth time that the young dragon has gotten himself into trouble…"

"We raised him better than that. He can't go picking fights with Skylanders all his life…" Terrador commented. A comment I found rather harsh.

"I'll have a talk with him alone… " Ignitus said, once again calm and collected. "Go and check on the grotto…"

Terrador and Cyril exchanged looks until eventually they nod and part ways from Ignitus and headed back to the gate that they came from. Ignitus then looked towards Sparx and I.

"Come with me, young dragon…" He muttered as he headed towards another gate.

Sparx and I look at each other uneasily before reluctantly following Ignitus. I knew I was in for it now…

**() **

Sparx and I followed Ignitus further into the temple, none of us were speaking to each other. I didn't know what Ignitus was going to say, I knew that he was disappointed in me. I could tell it in his face. That look of sadness and disbelief.

We eventually reached a balcony that looked over the rest of the Artisan World. From this height, I could see the faint lights of the town square in the distance which might've belong to another village. As we stopped, Ignitus sat on his haunches and stared into the distance, that look of sadness and disbelief becoming more and more obvious.

"Young dragon…" Ignitus murmured. "I'm very disappointed in you…"

There it was. Those words tore at me, I hated disappointing Ignitus. He was always so proud of me more than the other Guardians. He's the one that believed in me the most.

I looked down to the ground in shame. "I'm sorry…"

Ignitus looked down at me. "I know you are… but we taught you better than to pick fights with the other young ones."

"It wasn't my fault, he said all these things and I couldn't put up with it anymore."

Ignitus sighed. "I understand that but the point is that you retaliated… If you show even a slight hint that all those things he said upset you then you're letting the bully win by showing your vulnerability. After that, he'll know to push you in order to get an reaction…"

As always, Ignitus was right. Eruptor got what he wanted and that was for me to react. Now he's going to make my life miserable…

"I don't know what came over me…" I explained softly. "When he mentioned my parents plus all the things he said, I…"

"It's alright, Spyro…" Ignitus assured. "How you reacted was normal. But I still stand by what I said, you shouldn't have retaliated…"

I looked at the distance, taking it all in. "How did know what was going on?" I suddenly wondered.

"Young Sparx here headed out to find us as soon as you blasted Eruptor…" Ignitus answered.

I was quite surprised at that response. I didn't even see Sparx leave but that might've been because I was too preoccupied to notice.

Ah, Sparx… friend to the end. But why did that make me feel sad? I then became to ponder about all the stuff that Eruptor said. I know he is a bit of a moron but there was truth to what he said.

Will I always be alone? I know I have Sparx but even then… Dragonflies have a much shorter lifespan than Dragons. Then there were the Guardians… If I wasn't purple then I would still be at the Temple? Or would I live amongst the other dragons in the Valley?

"Something troubles you, Spyro…" Ignitus spoke up, causing a slight jump from me.

"It's nothing…" I muttered, still looking at the horizon. But as with Eruptor, Ignitus wasn't fooled.

"No… There's something wrong. Tell me." Ignitus insisted as he sat down so he was more at my height than he usually was.

"I just… have something on my mind…" I mumbled.

"Is it about young Eruptor said to you?" Ignitus wondered in a soft tone.

I looked away from him. "Yeah…"

"What did he say?" Ignitus questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Just about how I'm going to end up alone… And how you guys only tolerate me because of my scale colors…" I muttered, a slight tear forming.

Ignitus seemed a little upset by my response. "Spyro… You know that's not true. The Guardians and I care about you, purple or not. We did raise you after all…"

I gave a little smile in relief but something still bothered me. I still felt empty…

"Thanks, Ignitus…" I said, wiping away the slight tear. "But something still bothers me… Like an empty hole in my inside, a hole that can't be filled by either you or Sparx… I don't know, it's hard to explain…"

"Perhaps you need somebody by your side… Someone that can relate to you?"

"Something like that, yeah…"

Ignitus smiled slightly. "It's perfectly natural to feel that way… There's somebody out there for everyone, as the old saying goes." The smile turned into a concerned frown. "When did these feelings come from?"

"Just seeing the couples that come and go from the Valley... It hurts to see them happy. I know I'm only young but I would like a life like that someday. Somebody that'll be there for me no matter what, somebody that likes me for _me_… " I explained, gazing at the horizon once again, the twin suns shining brightly over the mountaintops. "Does that make sense?" I wondered, looking towards Ignitus.

"It does indeed, Spyro…" Ignitus said with a smile. "Now, I better get to notifying Master Eon of your little incident."

I laughed guiltily. I'd really hoped he forgot about that…

Ignitus went to leave but when he got halfway towards the gate and the balcony we were on, he stopped and turned back to me.

"Remember, young dragon… you are not alone. Your other half is out there somewhere…" He said before leaving Sparx and I alone.

I gave Ignitus a reassuring smile as he left before looking back to the horizon once again, watching the wind breeze through the trees as I considered Ignitus' words. What if he was right? What if my other half is out there? If so, where is she?

While those questions lingered in the back of my mind, one question remained more dominant than the others. One question that made me doubt the other thoughts in my head. A question that made me look down in sadness.

Will there ever be truly somebody out there like me in the world?

**And that's that. Next chapter we see Cynder and her daily life! **

**Hopefully I'll be able to update any of my other stories and if I can't… well you see an update of this sooner than you think… **

**Anyway I'll be updating: This, A Tale to Tell, Written in the Stars, Marvel vs Cartoon Network: Infinite Fate and the ongoing Civil War series. **

**Coming soon will be: Civil War: Flames of War and Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. Allons-y!**


	3. Killer Queen

**Welcome back! Last time we saw Spyro's daily life, burning up sheep and being bullied by the Skylanders… this time we're going to take a look at Cynder's daily life, this is a Spyro/Cynder story after all! **

**So let's get on with the story! Enjoy! **

**(Chapter 3: Killer Queen) **

_Far in the outskirts of the Dragon Realms… a powerful villain plans..._

**(CYNDER's POV) **

Rain poured over the Mountain of Malefor with the nice touch of the odd thunderbolt and lightning which would be very frightening for any other dragon.

But not me… in fact I find it very soothing.

I woke to the sound of my door knocking loudly and impatiently. I rolled my eyes and sighed. Right on schedule…

I got up and did a little stretch before I headed to the door. I opened it slightly ajar to see a Ape waiting outside, examining his finger with a brain dead expression on its face. It eventually heard me opening the door and stood in a proper posture.

"Mistress Cynder, Daughter of Malefor the Dark Master… your father requires you at the training room immediately…" The Ape said.

Daughter of Malefor? Somehow that just didn't seem right to me... I mean, I was his daughter… just not biologically...

You see, my egg was rescued by Gaul during the Great War from some Dragon Temple in the city of Warfang after the Guardians were about to smash it.

You made them afraid, my dad said, they thought you'd be too powerful to stop.

Some Guardians they were… why call yourselves that if you were going to smash a egg for no goddamn reason? It made no sense.

Then there was the legendary purple dragon, the rarest one of our kind apparently. According to my dad, he was in the same grotto I was in the night I was rescued. That would make him round about my age. I knew I could take him down… easily. He wouldn't even see me coming…

Dad however… seems concerned. He was many things: powerful, cunning, highly intelligent and manipulative… but concerned? Not in his blood. Maybe since he was also a purple dragon then maybe the other one could become powerful enough to destroy him…

Like _that's_ ever going to happen…

"I'll be there in a minute…" I said as I slowly started to close the door.

Before I could shut the door the Ape grasped it firmly with it's claws, causing some of the wood to be shaven off.

"Your father requires you… _now._" The Ape growled threateningly.

Geez, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the rainforest last night… An idea suddenly creeped into my head which made me smirk mischievously. An idea that'll put the the Ape in its place.

"Uh oh, is that the Dark Master I see in the hallway?" I suddenly wondered, eyes widening and using my tail to point to the right.

The Ape immediately froze and turned towards the direction I was pointing at. I could see the fear in it's eyes. Apes were always such cowards when it comes to facing my father, even the Ape King Gaul cowers before him. Gnorcs, however, were more difficult to intimidate but they still feared my father… they're just too stubborn to admit it.

"Ok, I'll give you as much time as you need…" The Ape eventually said, backing away in the opposite direction from the door.

I smirked with pride. "You have my thanks… now get out of here."

The Ape nodded frantically and ran fearfully in the opposite direction. Works every time…

I shut the door and walked towards a chest that was opposite to my bed. I opened it to reveal a set of platinum jewelry (shackles, my dad calls them… what does he know anyway?) which consists of two bracers for my wrists, a choker and a bracer for my tail. I've always had them even when I was little… can't remember if someone gave them to me or maybe perhaps I've always had them…

I slotted on the wrist bracers then moved my tail closer to me so that I could put the tail bracer on and eventually putting my choker around my neck.

I opened my door and headed off towards the training room. As I was walking there, the few Apes and Gnorcs that I walked past gave me looks of uncertainty. Everytime they get close to me, they walk a little faster than their usual speed as if they were thinking 'Is she going to attack?'

I hated them. I hated being surrounded by Gnorcs and Apes. They're smelly, greedy and just plain pathetic. There was no other dragon in sight either… I could understand why, my dad loathes all dragons big and small, especially the Guardians. Odd considering that he is a dragon himself.

I don't know why but the fact that there was no other dragons in the mountain made me feel… what was that word? _Lonely? _Yeah that's it… lonely…

I felt alone. No one was there when I needed most. No one by my side to keep me company. I always assumed that would all change in the many years I was in the mountain.

Now I'm starting to think that'll never happen. I'll be alone… _forever. _

**()**

"Concentrate… let the wind flow through…" My father lectured to me as he sat on the side of the training room.

I got into a fighting stance and closed my eyes, feeling the wind element flow through my body.

I can do it this time, I know I can.

I took a deep breath and unleashed a breath of wind onto the training dummy… or at least I think I did. I opened my eyes to see that the dummy was still intact and was in the same position as it before. I could see Dad wipe his face with his paw in utter annoyance.

"No, no, no!" Dad growled, rubbing his eyes. "It must come from within! You can't just breathe it out!"

"Sorry, Dad…" I apologised in a disappointed tone. Why couldn't I get my element to work? Every other dragon could at my age, at least according to my father anyway…

"How about we try this?" Dad suggested as he grabbed a nearby small log. "Slice this in half…"

Dad chucked the log towards me. I glanced as it flew further towards me then I jumped, flipping until my tail was in contact with the log. The log split apart and the two halves skidded to opposite parts of the room.

"I did it!" I exclaimed proudly. Yay, go me!

But my Dad rolled my eyes. "Yes… but a mere tail spin isn't going to do any harm to anyone besides from knocking them back. Logs are made to be split, dragons are not…"

I frowned. Why must he always do this? He has such high expectations… expectations I can never exceed. I'm not him or even a purple dragon as a matter of fact but why does he act like we have the same powers?

As I was about to try to knock the dummy again, a Gnorc came bounding into the training room. Once it got near to Dad, he stood before him all rigid and formal. I rolled my eyes, why do these guys always have to show off their loyalty in such a obvious way?

"Master Malefor, Gnasty Gnorc has returned from the Peace Keepers District and requests that you see him in the Visions Room…" The Gnorc said, shaking with fear.

I could hear my father mutter something in relief before addressing the Gnorc. "I'll be there immediately…" He said before turning to me. "Back to your quarters, daughter… we're done training here…"

"Oh, can I come to the meeting too?" I asked eagerly, hopefully getting the answer I want this time.

"No, you can't!" Dad snarled, teeth baring at me. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

My face fell. So much for getting my hopes up… again…

I sighed and slowly headed back to my quarters. Why did my dad always leave me out? I'm capable of fighting… I mean, once I get my element sorted out then I can be a force to be reckoned with. I would able to kill the purple dragon if I wanted to… if only I knew where he or she was.

I realised something. Dad was meeting Gnasty Gnorc at the Visions Room, maybe Gnasty has found the purple dragon!

I turned around and headed back towards the training room but when I reached it, I carried on going forward towards the Visions Room.

I know that Dad was going to be pissed if he finds me. I mean, he's always pissed but it'll be more than usual. But that's going to be all worth it once I find the purple dragon.

Eventually I made it to the Visions Room. I immediately bolted to another corridor when I saw my Dad at the gate. I peeked around to see him entering the Visions Room with no suspicions whatsoever.

I was always a sneaky dragon, helps in this part of the world. If you were up to no good then you were dead, simple as that. But me, I was like a shadow if I wanted to be…

Once Dad disappeared into the Visions Room, I crept towards the gate and pressed my ear towards it. I could hear my dad and Gnasty Gnorc talking to each other, their voices were muffled but I could make out some of the things that they were saying.

"I found the purple dragon, master…" Gnasty said.

He did? I knew it!

"Really? Where?" My Dad wondered, completely unconvinced. Don't blame him for not being convinced, there have been some false leads in the past which completely bewilders me to this day. How can you have misidentify a dragon that has the rarest colour in the world? Then again, Gnorcs are quite stupid.

"One of the dragons at Peace Keepers told me of a village known as the Artisan Valley. The Guardians are there, obviously there to protect the purple dragon…" Gnasty answered.

"Good…" Dad chuckled. "Make your way to the Artisan Valley at once, find the purple dragon and bring it to me… make sure the Guardians or any other dragon don't get in your way…"

"Master, is it really that wise to attack out of the blue?" Gnasty questioned. "What if the purple dragon is already powerful enough?"

I could tell that Dad was glaring at him angrily even from behind the gate. Bad mistake questioning my father whether he's wrong or not…

"The purple dragon is young, the same age as Cynder. He isn't powerful enough to stop me…"

"But… what if we send Cynder to the Artisan Valley? She should be able to gain their trust…" Gnasty suggested.

Send me to the Artisan Valley? For a Gnorc, that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea… even if that does involve me fraternizing with the same dragons that wanted to smash my egg.

"That sounds too cliche…" Dad argued. "Attacking out of the blue would be unexpected and gives our enemy less time to prepare…"

Hmm… he had a point there.

"Besides…" Dad continued. "Cynder would rat on us in the first few days…"

Ok… ouch.

He clearly has no faith in me! Why would I rat him out? I'm loyal to him till the end.

"But, master…" Gnasty tried to counter-argue.

"But nothing!" Dad snapped. "Get you and a few Gnorcs ready to depart to the Artisan Valley…"

There was silence. I pushed my ear further into the gate.

"Yes, master…" Gnasty obeyed in a tone of defeat.

I could hear big footsteps coming towards the gate. I scurried towards the edge of the gate which blended into the shadows and sat very still as Gnasty Gnorc marched out of the Visions Room and off to rally his troops.

The gate remained open. Was Dad leaving too? I couldn't make a run for it in case he spotted me…

"I know you're out there, daughter…" Dad said from inside the Visions Room. "Come out now…"

So much for me being a shadow… I guiltily headed into the Visions Room, head lowered and tail dragging behind, to see Dad sitting on his haunches glaring angrily at me.

"Listen to me, daughter, and listen to me good. When I tell to do something, you do it. Understand?" He scolded. "This was a private meeting that didn't concern you…"

"Didn't concern me!?" I snapped all of sudden, lifting my head up to make eye contact with him. "You were talking about me! Gnasty's plan involved me being a mole!"

"Yes… but as you might know, we are not going forward with that plan. So it doesn't concern you…" Dad said, eyes narrowing.

"But I can help!" I exclaimed.

"No you can't."

"You said I was powerful, why else would the Guardians want to smash my egg?" I argued. "If you trusted me then I could go out, find the purple dragon and put an end to it once and for all!"

"ENOUGH!" Dad barked, slamming his paw against the ground which caused the floor around his paw to crack slightly. My eyes widened at the sudden outrage.

"You are powerful, yes… but right now you are weak, having the same amount of power as a dragonfly! You underestimate the power of the purple dragon. A purple dragon can master the primary elements, you can barely master wind! Do you know why I'm keeping you in the dark, daughter? Because you are not ready and this rate you never will be!" He scowled.

I couldn't speak. I couldn't even think of anything to snap back at him. My head lowered in the realisation that he was right.

I couldn't defeat a purple dragon, I can't even master wind. What was I thinking?

"Now go back to your quarters immediately…" Dad growled. "And if I catch you eavesdropping or if you stick your snout where it don't belong then you'll be grounded. Do I make myself clear?"

I nodded and crept back to my quarters. There was no point in fighting back.

**() **

I laid on my bed, staring up at the ceiling silently. Alone again… as always.

Why doesn't my dad have any faith in me? Isn't it in the dad's job description to always be there for their hatchlings and trust them no matter what? Not this dragoness, she gets the dad that would rather hang out with Gnorcs and Apes than his own family. I know I'm not actually biologically linked to him but I'm still his daughter, right?

Still deep down in that cold, dark heart of his, there must be some little part of him that actually does care about me. I have disappointed him so many times yet nothing happened to me whereas the Gnorcs and Apes that have done the same thing were killed on the spot or tossed to be fed to the Skurvywings.

Somedays I want to escape, to be alone. Me against the world kind of thing. Somedays I just want to hide away and forget about everything that surrounds me.

I stopped my thought process as I noticed something strange… There was a feeling inside me that felt unusual, like I wasn't myself yet I was. I looked around my room to find anything odd, nothing out of the ordinary as far as I was concerned…

An instinct told me to look in the mirror so I quickly leapt out of bed and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

Something didn't seem right about me…

Usually I'm a black-scaled dragoness with a ruby underbelly and membranes. But looking at the mirror, everything was black and from the look of the mirror I was seemingly not as solid as I used to be. Maybe that was just the dirt from the mirror.

I looked at my paw to see that the mirror wasn't dirty. I felt almost like a shadow of some kind…

Wait a minute… Was this the Shadow element? I mean, of course of it was… you can't exactly breathe shadow. Or can you?

Either way, me having the Shadow element was impossible, normal dragons only have one element and I thought my element was wind…

Maybe Dad wasn't lying… maybe I am as powerful as I thought.

But what triggered it? The thoughts of me being alone and wanting to hide away? But I've had these feelings before and nothing happened then. The idea of escape perhaps?

Who or what am I? Why do I have these powers? Is there more to me than meets the eye?

Who could help me anyway? As far as I know of, I'm the only Shadow dragon in the world. Does that mean I'm truly alone forever?

Will there ever be truly somebody out there like me in the world?

**And there we have it, another chapter in the bag! Hope you enjoyed it, it's a little shorter than the last one but I hope there's enough in there for you to be satisfied. **

**Next chapter, we're back to Spyro, what's going to happen when Gnasty Gnorc heads to the Artisan Valley? You'll find out sooner than you think! **

**Anyway I'll be updating: This, A Tale to Tell, Written in the Stars, Marvel vs Cartoon Network: Infinite Fate and the ongoing Civil War series. **

**Coming soon will be: Civil War: Flames of War and Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. Allons-y!**


	4. I Want To Break Free

**Welcome back! Last time, we saw Cynder's daily life in the Mountain of Malefor where she found out that Gnasty Gnorc has located Spyro and Malefor orders Gnasty to find him. **

**What will happen? Read and find out! **

**(Chapter 4: I Want To Break Free) **

_Back in the Artisan Valley… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

I couldn't sleep last night. Not even a wink.

I spent all night thinking about what Ignitus said to me, something about finding my other half. As I laid back onto the grass and stared at the sky, watching the clouds slowly gliding across, I thought about the possibility of finding this potential dragoness of my dreams.

What would she be like? What would I _want_ her to be like?

She had to be perfect, that was obvious. But her overall appearance? My brain struggled to think about that little chestnut…

Why was it so hard to picture her in my head? Sure, I haven't had a crush on anyone before but there were a few that had a crush on me. (I may not know a single thing about love but I can still notice if someone is interested in me…) It was odd because I never hung out with them or even engaged in conversation with them besides from the rare occasion that they said hello to me.

There was a pink dragoness… can't remember her name but thinking about now, I probably don't want to. She used to send love letters and follow me around constantly. She creeped me out more than anything…

Then there was this goat… No, sorry faun... Elora was it? She was an assistant to a professor from the University of Avalar. Ignitus asked me to show them around and occasionally help them when they needed it. Sure she was nice but a completely different species, there's probably a law against that.

And now recently I heard the other day through whispers and rumours that there was one of the Skylanders that has taken an interest in me. Couldn't care less who it was. Maybe it was Flashwing? Perhaps it was Stealth Elf? Don't know, don't care.

They never cared about me, they were only interested in me because I was a purple dragon. They judge me before they even know me. I'm not legendary… I'm nothing…

Why was being purple so important? Surely the Guardians would've told me something… well at least my life's purpose…

"Ah, Spyro…" I heard a voice call out. "There you are…"

I immediately jumped and sat up to see where the voice came from. I frantically turned to see Volteer, sitting on the haunches, standing over me.

"Volteer!?" I exclaimed, clutching my chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Volteer chuckled slightly. "My apologies… I hope I haven't disturbed your reflecting, contemplating, pondering, deliberating…"

"Ah, no!" I answered a little too quickly. "I was just cloud gazing… nothing going on in this head!" I lied, knocking my head with my paw.

Volteer raised an eyebrow at my sudden change in behaviour. Being the smartest out of all of the Guardians, he can always tell that I was upset or acting unusual. He's read a lot of books, nothing could get catch him off-guard. He must've swallowed a thesaurus while he was researching to be able to think of many synonyms for one word in under a minute.

"Uh… what brings you here, Volteer?" I asked, changing the subject. "If it's about my lesson with Ignitius…"

Volteer raised his paw up and I quieted down. "It's not that, Spyro. Ignitus has asked me to bring you back at the Temple urgently, instantly, immediately…"

Ignitus wanted me back at the Temple? Why? He usually lets me roam around the Valley during the day, why is today any different?

"Is something wrong?" I wondered.

"It's nothing to worry about…" Volteer assured. "Just making sure you haven't wandered off to another realm in light of your recent incident, scene, episode…"

Wandered off to another realm? I haven't considered or thought about that ever since I was little… Great, now I'm doing it. But that's not the point. The point is what is Volteer not telling me? If he says there was nothing to worry about, there's obviously something to worry about… I've seen the movies…

"Alright then…" I said.

There was no point in arguing with Volteer, he'd win anyway. Just in case that there was something wrong, I wouldn't want to put extra pressure on the Guardians by refusing to go back to the Temple.

I turned to Sparx, who was having a nap while I was looking at the sky. "Sparx, come on! We're going!"

Sparx slowly woke up and flew to my side, yawning along the way. As soon as Sparx returned to my side, Volteer led us back to the Temple.

**() **

Volteer led Sparx and I to the grotto where Ignitus was speaking with Terrador and Cyril. As the gate closed with a huge thud, all of the Guardians turned towards us.

"Oh, Volteer… you found him." Ignitus said, the sound of relief in his voice.

"Ignitus, can you tell me what's going on?" I wondered. I had the right to know, right? I mean, he wouldn't have sent Volteer to bring me here if it wasn't important.

"It's nothing to be concerned about, young dragon… it's just a precaution that you were summoned here." Ignitus answered. Again with the 'nothing-to-be-concerned-about'... what is it that they don't want me to find out?

"But what about…?" Cyril was about to ask until Terrador bumped him on the shoulder and glared at him which made him stop talking immediately.

Ignitus cleared his throat and glanced at Cyril. "Cyril, go and check out the Western Border…"

Cyril nodded and exited the grotto, mumbling confusingly to himself. Why he was checking the border?

"Terrador, you take the Eastern Border…"

"As you wish, Ignitus…" Terrador said as he also exited the grotto. Ok, something's definitely up...

"Volteer, you're the fastest so you check the Northern and Southern borders…"

"I won't let you down, Ignitus…" Volteer assured as he also exited the grotto, leaving Ignitus alone with Sparx and I.

If all the Guardians are checking out the borders then something has to be going on, there's no denying that! Why won't he tell me what's going on? I may be young but I at least can be a lookout or something…

"What about me, Ignitus? What can I do?" I wondered. Whatever was going on, I wanted to help.

"I need you to go to your room and stay there. Don't come out until I say so!" Ignitus ordered, looking down at me.

"But…"

"That's an order, young dragon!" Ignitus snapped, eyes flaring. My eyes widened and I backed away from him a little bit… he's hardly ever snapped at me, or anyone as a matter of fact. Whatever is going on, it was obviously stressing him out. When Ignitus saw my shocked expression and the slight fear in my eyes, he took a deep breath. "Please, Spyro… just go… all will be explained later." He muttered.

I nodded slowly and I too, exited the grotto and headed to my room. There better be a good explanation for this…

**() **

Sparx and I went to my room, locking the door behind me. Sparx suggested that I barricaded the door with the bookcase but I assured him that it wasn't necessary. You never know, it could be a little overkill.

I jumped on the bed and stared at the ceiling, watching a spider slowly crawl towards the crack between the ceiling and the wall.

Why doesn't anybody tell me anything? This wasn't the first time that the Guardians were acting defensive all of a sudden. There was one time when I was little where Ignitus sent the Guardians to the borders of the Valley, just like today. The next time I saw them, they all had scratches and bruises all over their bodies. I never got explained to me what happened to them, even my innocent mind at the time couldn't think of a reasonable explanation.

They couldn't have been attacked… right?

Did I have anything to do with this? Were those injuries all for my sake?

No… couldn't be. No. I'm not important… there's no way that anyone in the world would want to hurt me. I haven't even been outside the Artisan Valley, so who could know about me?

_BOOM! _

I jolted from my bed and gazed at my door. What was that? An explosion?

I hear screams. I didn't know where it came from but it was there. Screams that sound varied… male voices, female voices, voices of… children…

What was going on? What was happening? People are possibly being killed out there and I'm stuck here in my room while hell's breaking loose!

I had to help them… or do something at least…

I head to my door and start to open my door when Sparx flies in right of me and slams the door. He then begins to lecture me through buzzing and hand gestures. He must be saying something about how I can't go out until Ignitus gives the all clear and calling me crazy.

"I can't just sit here and listen to people suffer!" I exclaimed to Sparx. "They need help!"

But still Sparx refused to listen, he began to have a massive go at me. He moved towards me, pointing at me and buzzing angrily. He mentioned that since I was the purple dragon, I needed to be protected at all costs…

What did he mean by that?

As soon as Sparx said what he said he automatically covered his mouth, a shocked expression forming on his face.

Sparx was in on this too? You've got to be kidding me...

"What is it that no one's telling me, Sparx!?" I exclaimed angrily. "What is _so_ important that everyone has to know except for me!?"

Sparx lowered his head in sadness. He couldn't answer… typical, just typical.

"I'm going to help… whether you're with me or not…" I muttered as I stormed out of my room. From the corner of my eye, I could see Sparx contemplating whether he was going to stay in my room or not. Ultimately he chose to join me just as I closed the door.

**() **

Sparx and I continued to head down the hallway towards the main seating area, the screams outside getting louder and louder. Whatever was happening out there… it was close. Very close.

Beyond the door leading out into the Valley, I heard muffled voices. One sounded very harsh and the other sounded very calm.

Then I heard the sound of an object hitting something… or somebody. An echo from the impact rang over the room.

The echo rang again, this time louder. In fact whoever or whatever was getting hit slammed up against the gate, causing it to slightly warp from the impact.

Uh oh…

I decided to bolt towards one of the columns just as the gate busted open, an orange shape flying towards the wall and landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

As the orange shape landed near the column I was hiding behind, I immediately recognized who it was. It was Ignitus.

Ignitus looked like he'd just been in a cage fight or something. Cuts were present in every part of his body which I could tell from the blood that was seeping out. A part of his face was swollen, a black eye completing the look.

Who could've done this to him? Ignitus was a skilled fighter from what I've heard from one of Volteer's stories that I managed not to fall asleep to. If he was what Volteer claimed… Then why did he look he put up no fight whatsoever?

Ignitus struggled to get back up, coughing up more blood. I was about to rush to his aid when something else entered the temple.

The thing was huge, green and muscular. So muscular that it looked liked his tiny legs wouldn't support him. The green skin was hidden beneath golden armour that had horns on the shoulders and the helmet as well as spikes on the wristbands. The armour made clinking noises as it moved towards Ignitus. He also carried a club that had horns and green gems on each side.

But boy… He was ugly…

"You've grown weak in your old age…" The creature chuckled. "Such a shame, you used to put up more of a fight…"

Ignitus' response was to glare at him before he coughed up more blood.

"I'm going to ask you one last time…" The creature muttered as he picked up Ignitus by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "Where is the purple dragon?"

Wait… Did he just say 'purple dragon'?

"Not here…" Ignitus mumbled. "I sent him away… Far away where no one could find him."

Why would he lie? I mean I understand that he's protecting me and all that but what bad guy ever falls for that old misdirection trick?

The creature frowned. "Wrong answer…"

The creature slammed Ignitus on the ground. It was so hard even I can feel how painful it was. I took a closer look at Ignitus, the side of his face now had a nasty gash from the blunt force of the club.

He was taking all these hits for me? I know how dedicated he was to me all these years but why did it feel wrong that he could potentially die to ensure my protection.

No… I can't let him die...

"Now…" The creature began to swing his club once again. "Let's hear the right answer…"

Just before the club was about to hit Ignitus' face, I did something that could be either stupid or extremely bold…

"Hey, ugly!" I bellowed out, stepping out to face the creature.

I don't why I'm doing this… I knew I couldn't take him but I couldn't let Ignitus take another beating. The creature turned to face me, still holding the club as he squinted his eyes to look at me. Ignitus meanwhile, either had a look of shock or disappointment… I couldn't tell from his many injuries.

The creature stopped squinting and grinned evilly. "Well, well… look who's come out of hiding..."

"Let him go… now!" I barked, standing my ground and trying my best to look as threatening as I could.

The creature chuckled. "Or what? You'll gnaw at my feet?"

"Oh, something_ much_ worse…" I threatened. I don't know what I could do that was much worse but the creature doesn't have to know that though.

"Spyro… what are… you doing?" Ignitus croaked out.

"Saving your life, what does it look like I'm doing?"

My response made the creature burst into laughter once again. "You? Save him? You know, I don't know what Malefor was so afraid of… You're no threat, you're just petty… and tiny."

Did he just call me tiny? I know he didn't just call me tiny just now… Time for me to teach him a lesson…

"Well at least I'm not as ugly as you… boy that face could shatter mirrors…" I taunted.

The creature stopped his laughing fit and started to growl at me, his left eye slightly twitching. He then stomped towards me, his club still grasped firmly in his hand.

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you, dragon…" He snarled. "You have no idea who are dealing with…"

"Yeah, I'm dealing with your breath…" I joked, blocking my nose with one claw and wiping the air with the other. "Two words, dude… breath mints…"

Sparx giggled slightly at my teasing. At least I was entertaining someone… however the creature seemed anything but entertained. In fact, he looked extremely pissed… worse than Cyril whenever he loses an argument against Volteer.

"That does it!" The creature exclaimed. "Screw Malefor, I'll kill you myself!"

Who was this Malefor guy? And why was he apparently afraid of me when I've never heard of him before? It seems today that I have more questions than actual answers…

Suddenly the creature swung his club in my direction. I managed to evade the path of the swing which ended up hitting a nearby column, collapsing it into a variety of pieces.

"Woah, is there a draft nearby? Maybe the door was left open?" I mocked as I continued to take the mickey out of the creature. At this point, the creature was beyond mad and tried to get a hold of me or clobber me with his club. The only thing he seemed to hit successfully were the columns that I ran past.

Eventually I hit a dead end. Nowhere to go, nowhere to run. The creature cornered me, a grin on his face.

"End of the line, you little shit…" The creature muttered as he began to rise his club to whack me.

Was this it? Was this the end? I had so much stuff I wanted to do… travel the realms, splash water on Eruptor's head, attend the screening of _Slasher Camp IV: The New Nightmare_. The sad thing is that I'll be alone for all those things. I mean, Sparx will be there but you hardly notice that he's there unless he goes to your eye level.

Just as the creature was about to swing his club, Ignitus snuck up behind him and bashed him with his head, sending the creature stumbling.

"Spyro… run…" He mumbled, struggling to stay up.

The creature got his bearings and charged towards Ignitus. "You just don't know when to quit, old timer…" The creature muttered, knocking Ignitus onto the ground.

I tried to help by charging towards the creature but he saw coming and backhanded me, sending me crashing into the wall. I slid down the wall in a daze… Ow… okay… note to self, charging doesn't work with big guys…

Sparx flew into my eye line, trying to get me out of my daze. I don't know if I was still recovering from the attack but something about Sparx seemed _different… _

He wasn't yellow, like he should be… he had turned blue.

When was he able to change colour? Mood changes maybe? Who knows…

My vision began to unblur and I could see that Ignitus was taken another beating. But it looked like he was letting the creature bash him with the club. He should be fighting back! Why isn't he fighting back!?

I can't let him die… what would I do without him?

I staggered to my feet and slowly went closer to the creature. Something was burning up inside me, something familiar but more active… more _powerful… _

"Leave… him… alone!" I said angrily.

The creature turned to me again and raised an eyebrow. Ignitus slowly lifted his head to see what was happening.

"You never learnt to quit while you're ahead, did you little dragon?" The creature pondered, standing over me menacingly.

The creature then did something that I didn't expect him to do. He spread his arms. "Come on then… free shot, give me your best shot!" He boasted before going into another laughing fit.

He should really learn to shut up… I took a deep breath, the creature still distracted by his laughter.

Then a gigantic breath of fire erupted from my mouth. The fire engulfed the creature enough so I couldn't see him. All I knew that he stopped laughing as soon as the flame made contact with him.

After a few seconds, the flame died down. The creature stood there blackened and burnt with a shocked expression on his face. Even I was surprised, I could burn the wool of a sheep but I never knew I was capable of burning someone of this creature's size…

But then his body started to crack and crumble, the creature's shocked expression still plastered on his face. Then the creature slowly started to turn into dust. His muscular frame started to deform and dissipate into nothing. Even his armour started to fall apart. Eventually all was left of the creature was a pile of dust.

My eye started to twitch in shock. Did I just… kill that thing?

I stepped around the pile of dust, still shocked on what I had done, and made my way to Ignitus.

"Are you alright, Ignitus?" I wondered. Stupid question, Spyro… of course he wasn't alright! He looked like a wagon ran over him… multiple times.

Ignitus coughed. "I'll live… thanks to you…"

I turned to Sparx, who was still oddly blue. "Sparx, get some Healing Gems…" I suggested. Sparx nodded and headed to find some Healing Gems.

"Who was that, anyway?" I asked Ignitus after Sparx disappeared.

"One of Malefor's generals… calls himself Gnasty Gnorc."

Gnasty Gnorc, huh? So that was his name…certainly lives up to his title, but not anymore.

Sparx had quickly returned with a handful of Healing Gems and placed them on the floor besides Ignitus. Immediately I smashed the gems into tiny pieces with my tail. The essence of the gems flew into Ignitus, healing his gashes, cuts and bruises as much as they could. As soon as the Healing Gems were in full effect, Ignitus slowly started to stand up onto his haunches.

"Thank you, young dragon…" He muttered, still breathless from his confrontation with Gnasty Gnorc.

"Ignitus, what's going on here? Was there an attack? What happened? Who's Malefor?" I started to give many questions to Ignitus and would've continued on rambling if he didn't raise his paw to shut me up.

"Come with me…" Was all he said.

He started to limp towards the gate leading into the Valley. Sparx and I exchanged looks before following him.

Finally… some explanations.

**() **

Ignitus led us outside into the Valley. I couldn't believe what I was seeing…

Chaos everywhere… trees that have fallen over, stalls destroyed and worst of all… bodies everywhere. People I've seen walking happily in the streets… they were just lying there…

It was a horrible sight… It brought tears to my eyes.

"What… happened here?" I stuttered.

Ignitus stared at the Valley gloomily. "Malefor happened…"

Besides from the horrible sight of bodies scattered across the valley, something else piqued my curiosity. A various amount of green, crystallised dragon statues were placed in random locations throughout the Valley. If only that was the strangest thing to happen today…

"Gnasty Gnorc's staff is capable of turning dragons into crystal statues… It's a simple spell and can be easily broken." Ignitus explained, seeing the curiosity on my face.

"But why would they attack us?" I questioned. "We didn't do anything, our Valley is peaceful!"

"The Valley wasn't their main priority… they were looking for someone…" Ignitus said. He was trying to hide something again, I already knew who they were looking for.

"They were looking for me… weren't they?"

Ignitus didn't answer. After all that we've been through, he's still keeping secrets!

"Ignitus, please tell me what's going on! Why was that creature looking for me!?" I pleaded. "I need to know who we're dealing with here!"

Ignitus still didn't answer. I could tell he was conflicted between telling me or not, but why though? He said he was going to explain it later back in the grotto… or was that a lie?

Eventually he sighed. "Ok, ok… you deserve to know the truth."

Finally…

"Nestor!" Ignitus called out before a green dragon with a dark green vest linked with a golden necklace came flying to Ignitus.

Nestor was the resident carpenter of the Artisan Valley, any building that needed fixing… he was always on the job. He's even rebuilt bits of the Temple a few times. Besides from being a carpenter, Nestor was also a community leader which is helpful in times like this.

"Yes, Ignitus?"

"Round up the Skylanders and any remaining creature you can find. Free the captured Dragons… just tap them and they should be released." Ignitus ordered.

"Sure thing, Ignitus… I'll gather who I can." Nestor obeyed before flying off again.

As Nestor left, Ignitus started to head back into the Temple. "Come along, young dragon…"

I quickly caught up to him and returned to Ignitus' side, eager to find the answers to many of the questions I've been wondering about.

**() **

Ignitus and I headed into a room I've never seen before. Odd considering how big it was… the room was circular, a mural painted all over the walls. I can make out some familiar faces in some of the paintings, including the Guardians but they seemed younger and they were wearing armour. In the centre of the room was a gigantic statue of a dragon, not those statues I saw outside… this was a real statue.

Who was this dragon? How come I've never seen or heard of it before now?

"Years ago… dark forces plagued the realms, all because of one dragon…" Ignitus started to explain as we started to pace slowly around the room.

"Malefor, I'm guessing?"

"Yes, Spyro… Malefor is a purple dragon just like you, he was trained by the Guardians of Old in the Light Elements: Fire, Earth, Electricity, Ice and Wind to bring about a new age for dragonkind..."

There was another purple dragon out there? I thought I was the only one out there... I would be jumping for joy if it wasn't for the fact that he was responsible for attacking the village.

"But greed and lust for power clouded his mind… he became too arrogant and overpowered that the Guardians banished him into exile. Filled with the hatred of his own kind, Malefor embraced the darkness that corrupted him and became the Dark Master… an unstoppable force of pure evil. Using the power of darkness, he recruited Apes, Gnorcs and Grublins from across the realm to his cause and taught them to artificially manufacture gems in order to gain more power. He eventually waged a war against the Dragon race which sent the world into chaos. But there was something he didn't know about at the time…"

"What didn't he know?" I wondered.

"That he wasn't the purple dragon in the world… you see purple dragons are born once every ten generations. So in all that time that Malefor was in exile, an egg hatched…"

Ignitus then turned to me. "You, Spyro…"

I looked at the painting of the purple egg… well technically me before I hatched. No wonder I've never seen any other purple dragons around… that's why I feel alone…

"Was Malefor aware of my egg hatching?" I wondered, looking up at Ignitus.

"He found out, yes. He sent his minions to the grotto that you were kept in and they smashed every egg that was yet to be evacuated. You were the only survivor…" Ignitus answered, a mournful tone in his voice.

I was the only survivor? I couldn't believe that Malefor could commit such atrocities: betraying his own kind, ensuring that the next generation of dragons went extinct. He was a purple dragon, like me… he was meant to bring peace to the Dragon Realms not bring further into the darkness. If Malefor turned greedy and power-hungry, could I? I mean I presumably can use the same elements as Malefor… but could I just one day snap and turn to the side of evil? I already burnt Gnasty Gnorc until he was a pile of dust… what if that happened to my friends? Or possibly the one I love? Whenever that happens…

No… I won't turn evil. I may share the same colour as Malefor but I'm sharing his fate. Not now… not ever.

"Why… why could he ever do such a thing?" I questioned, horror in my voice.

"Because only a purple dragon can defeat him…" Ignitus answered. "He was ensuring that he remained in power for a little while longer..."

"If he knows I exist then why I hasn't come and find me before? Why wait all these years?"

"After Malefor attacked the city of Warfang, where you were laid, we had to move all the remaining eggs and the surviving citizens to a place where Malefor could never find you... The Artisan Valley. Here everyone could keep a special eye on you, including Sparx…"

"Yeah… about Sparx…" I said. "When I was facing Gnasty Gnorc, I got hit by him and Sparx turned blue… why is that?" I wondered, pointing at the now Sparx.

Ignitus slightly chuckled. "Why, young Sparx here is doing his job… protecting you…"

When I still had no idea what he was on about, Ignitus continued to explain. "You see, dragonflies have a special kind of magic of their own. They generate a shield that allows a young dragon to withstand more hits than they should. Sparx changes colour to indicate whether you are vulnerable to attacks. First he'll turn blue then green before disappearing entirely…"

Wait… so when I'm on the verge of dying, Sparx will just bail on me? So much for 'friend to the end'...

"But I thought Sparx was meant to keep me focused?"

Ignitus nodded. "That is also his purpose, young dragon. But protecting you was the main reason that we assigned him to you…"

Hmm, I guess that makes sense. I wonder why he hasn't changed colour before? I mean I've hit my head on a various amount of trees and walls while charging but Sparx didn't turn blue then… I guess it's only bad guys hit me…

But one question lingered in my head… how I do get him back to his usual colour? I don't want to have blue forever to only serve as a constant reminder that his shield was beginning to fail…

"So how do I get him back to his usual colour?" I wondered.

"I think you already know the answer to that, young dragon…" Ignitus replied.

I did? How?

"What do you mean, Ignitus?"

"I was referring to you burning all the sheep…"

"Oh… but what's that got to do with?" I questioned.

"When a small creature dies or gets burnt, a butterfly gets released. No one knows quite why that occurs. But Sparx can eat that butterfly to strengthen his shield…" Ignitus explained. "We call them Fodder…"

Well that explains the sudden appearance of butterflies whenever I toast the sheep. I always thought they got stuck in the sheep's wool or the sheep had eaten them by accident… the more you know.

Suddenly just before I could ask more questions, a mole suddenly enters the room that Ignitus and I were in. He was constantly tripping over himself, huffing and puffing.

"Ignitus! Ignitus!" The mole exclaimed. He seemed to be holding a bit of parchment in his hand.

"What is it, Hugo?" Ignitus wondered, his tone sounding annoyed. Don't blame him of course… Hugo was hugely known for his false alarms. I mean one time, he said that there was a scary monster at the border but it turned out to be a harmless sheep.

"One of the Apes left this message. It was written by Malefor!" Hugo answered, sounding terrified and panicky.

Ignitus raised an eyebrow and laid the parchment on the floor. The text was a little confusing to read as it was only symbols as far as I could see. But I could make out only one word… Guardians.

As Ignitus continued to read, his eyes widened with fear. What could've happened to the Guardians to make Ignitus afraid?

"Ignitus… what's wrong?"

Ignitus didn't even turn to look at me. "It's the Guardians… they've been taken…"

**Oh no, the Guardians have been taken… How did this happen? And where are they now? Find out soon! **

**Anyway, I'll be updating: This, A Tale to Tell, Written in the Stars and Marvel vs Cartoon Network: Infinite Fate. **

**Coming soon will be: Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street, A reboot to The Time Lord and the Wattersons and Convergence, which will serve as a reboot to the Civil War series. **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y! **_


	5. You're My Best Friend

**Welcome back. Last time we saw Gnasty Gnorc and his army lay waste to the Artisan Valley, capturing the Guardians in the process. Meanwhile Spyro was contemplating his love life before he was forced to hide in his room without knowing what is happening. After burning Gnasty Gnorc to a crisp, Spyro finally learns of his true nature. **

**What's going to happen next? Well let's get on with the story and find out! **

**(Chapter 5: You're My Best Friend) **

_A tragedy strikes the Artisan Valley… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

The Guardians… taken? No… that wasn't possible.

Here I was thinking that things couldn't get any worse after I told that another purple dragon was out to kill me but I was wrong… it got a lot worse…

Ignitus had told Hugo to round up any remaining dragons and search every part of the Valley for them. After Hugo left, Ignitus then ushered Sparx and I into the Grotto, a room that was only restricted to Guardians and expecting parents. The Grotto was large and circular with a pool of water in the middle. Surrounding it was an assortment of eggs with varied colour schemes that were placed in a nest that was all around the room.

Thank the ancestors that Gnasty Gnorc or his goons never reached the Grotto… the Valley doesn't need more heartbreak than they already do.

"This isn't possible… how could this happen under our noses?" I heard Ignitus mutter under his breath. He sounded worried with a hint of concern in his voice.

By the sound of it, this seems to be the first time that the Guardians went missing in action. No idea how that could be the case.. They had a reputation that was known throughout the Dragon Realms and that reputation should've made them had a target as big as the dragon statue that was in the room that Ignitus showed me.

"Ignitus, we can find them right?" I wondered. "The ones responsible for the Valley being attacked couldn't have gone far…" I deduced, assuming that there were creatures left after the attack.

Ignitus remained silent. He headed to the circular pool and gazed into it, eyes narrowing so he could focus on the pool. I tried to look into the pool as well but all I saw was my own reflection staring back into my eyes.

Something seems wrong… what could Ignitus see that I couldn't?

"Ah there they are…" Ignitus suddenly said, making me slightly jump.

What did he mean by 'there they are'? I don't know what he could see in the pool but it sure wasn't the Guardians…

"I don't understand what you mean, Ignitus..." I said while gazing deeper into the pool, putting my paw into the water and shaking it around to see if it would do something. "I can't see anything…"

"Only certain dragons with the gift of perception can look into the Pool of Visions…" Ignitus explained. Ah, that makes sense…

"And that's how you found the rest of the Guardians?"

"Yes, young dragon… by looking through the memories, thoughts and dreams of Cyril, Volteer and Terrador, I can determine where Malefor and his minions have taken them…"

A sudden thought occured to me. "Do you think that Malefor wanted us to go looking for the Guardians… so that he could attack me while I'm unguarded?" I theorized. "Why don't we look through the memories of Malefor, find his lair and hit him where he lives?"

"That would be suicidal with the army that Malefor has at his disposal… Malefor has also found a way to block out his mental thoughts so that he can be untraceable to the Pool of Visions…" Ignitus quickly shot down. Oh well… so much for my theory…

"Besides… who said I was the one going to find the Guardians?" Ignitus remarked, a slight grin appearing on his face.

What was he going on about? Who else could look for the Guardians? And why was he looking at me in that way?

Wait… he couldn't mean…? He wasn't suggesting what I think he was suggesting?

"_Me? _Are you sending me?" I wondered.

"Of course…" Ignitus replied.

"But why me? Wouldn't I be an easy target?"

"Not necessarily… yes, you are a purple dragon and that would certainly turn a few heads if you were discovered. But you are also small and quick, enemies wouldn't suspect a thing. And if you were detected, you can charge at them or burn them thus allowing you to rescue the Guardians under Malefor's nose." Ignitus clarified like I was a character in a video game and I was in the tutorial level.

I knew that this was a bad idea. Especially in light of what's happened in the Valley and the circumstances behind it… sending me out into the open wasn't exactly the best idea. Just because I'm some purple dragon capable of bringing the world into peace or destruction, that doesn't mean I'm some sort of hero…

I'm no hero… I'm an outcast to the rest of the world, I'm that dragon that has a legendary past but no one thought I could live up to it…

If there were any purple dragons before Malefor, how could I live up to their legacy? How could I bring peace? That didn't sound like me… not even in the slightest…

"I know you don't think that you're capable, young dragon. But I don't believe that… I see a great potential in you. If your heart allows it then you are able to do great things…" Ignitus reassured, noticing my questioning expression.

As always, Ignitus was right. I did have the potential to be great. I couldn't Malefor win… I couldn't leave Volteer, Cyril and Terrador in the clutches of a dragon that would kill innocent creatures just to get to me. All of the Guardians practically raised me, if anyone should save them… it should be me…

"Where can I find them?" Was all that I asked.

"Each of the Guardians are located in different worlds across the Realms. Volteer is in Summer Forest, Terrador is in High Caves and Cyril is in Molten Crater, all guarded by Malefor's forces. Find them without attracting too much attention and send them back here." Ignitus answered.

"I won't let you down, Ignitus…" I assured, mirroring what the Guardians said every time Ignitus ordered them around.

Ignitus then sat on his haunches and lowered his head to my height. "Remember young dragon… keep your nose clean and use that breath of yours wisely." He advised, a slight hint of a tear from his eyes. "From the moment your egg hatched, I always knew you were special…"

Never have I seen him cry or even shed a tear so without thinking, I raced towards him and gave him a hug. Ignitus' eyes widened at the sudden hug but eventually closed his eyes and accepted the hug.

"I'll miss you…" I muttered, a tear forming in my eye.

"I'll miss you too… Spyro…"

We broke apart from our hug as Sparx and I made our way out of the Grotto. I turned back towards Ignitus, who gave me a reassuring smile.

"May the Ancestors look after you..." He muttered.

I smiled back before leaving him in the Grotto. This wasn't goodbye… because I was coming back, I will find the Guardians and I will bring them home…

No matter the cost.

**() **

Sparx and I made our way to the Portal Room. The room was basically what it said on the tin, it was a room that contained every portal to every world in the Dragon Realms… well except for the realms where evil dwells. Why was there every portal to every world you ask? Well the Artisan Valley is known for its inhabitants being able to trade with other worlds. Before I hatched, the Artisans provide other dragons with artifacts of culture and beauty in the forms of songs, sculptures, and poetry. Not sure why they stopped, Volteer mentioned something about a war but like most things that Volteer talks about, it just blew over my head.

Before we headed into the Portal Room, Sparx made sure that we packed the bare essentials with Healing Gems being a top priority. I also made sure that Sparx had turned back into his original colour by burning a nearby sheep and collecting the butterfly that flew above it's ashes.

Once we made our way to the 'Summer Forest' portal, I started to second guess my decision to leave. I mean… the Artisan Valley was my home, my whole world… I don't know what's going to be waiting for me out there… something could jump out of the bushes when I'm least expecting it!

As I faced the portal to Summer Forest, I looked at the colours swirling around and stopped in my tracks, my feet couldn't allow me to go further.

This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea… I'm going to die…

No… this is no time to be scared, the Guardians need you!

Sparx noticed me stopping and turned around to give me a questioning look.

"I can't do this…" I blurted. No idea where that came from, I was ready to go a few minutes ago, what gives man?

Sparx zoomed into my eye-line, grabbed my muzzle and gave me a pep talk. He mentioned how the Guardians need us and Ignitus being disappointed if we turned back before we even started. The bit about Ignitus hit me hard and that was enough to get me back in the game.

"You're right, Sparx! I can do this! I can do this!" I said, repeating the same thing as Sparx and I entered the portal.

I was half-expecting the portal to last a lot longer with me flying through it, doing loop de loops and practicing my fire breath as the time went past.

But that wasn't the case… as soon as I went into the portal, I was instantly in a brand new world. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, different air, different smells, different terrain under my paws. The world around me was absolutely gorgeous and eye-catching… I was speechless…

What laid in front of me was a little niche of land which covered in tall, majestic trees and fed by a small pond and several running streams. A castle can also be seen amidst the forest, surrounded by a small rampart and large pillars.

Everything seemed quiet… a little quiet…

Where was everyone? I was expecting Malefor's minions to come swarming around to my position… but no one came… So much for that paranoia.

Still… I wasn't an idiot, I've seen the movies. I cautiously began to slowly walk towards the castle, making as minimal noise as possible. Sparx was zooming around the place, looking out into the trees and bushes to see if anything or anyone was there.

_SNAP! _

I quickly darted my head towards the sound of the noise. What was that?

"Sparx, did you hear that?" I wondered, a slight hint of fear in my voice.

Sparx shook his head in response. I didn't know if he was denying that he heard something or that he didn't genuinely hear anything. He can be confusing sometimes…

I could hear some bushes rustling… ok, there was definitely something in those bushes. But let's not panic… it could be a cute little bunny or something…

My instinct was to move closer to the bushes and that's exactly what I did. I slowly inched my way to the edge of the bushes, not taking my eyes away in case something moved again. Another instinct told me to call out to it but I instantly knew that was a stupid thing. Doing stupid things is why horror movie characters don't survive horror movies.

Then suddenly, a shadow creature shot out from the bushes and tackled me to the ground. Since it took me by surprise, it instantly got the upper hand and pinned me to the ground. The creature glared at me as it raised its tail blade towards my throat. The creature was completely made out of black dust of some kind, it didn't feel solid yet it did… such a biological mystery. However it retained a physical form, sporting horns on its head, wings and a tail which had a blade at the end… the same blade that was about to end my life…

"End of the line, purple dragon…" The creature muttered. Despite its voice sounding heavily filtered, I could tell that it sounded like a girl's voice.

As the creature was about to kill me, she suddenly got blasted in the back of the head. The creature suddenly changed form as she collapsed next to me. I got back onto my feet quickly and saw that Sparx was the one responsible for knocking out the shadow creature. Another talent that Sparx was hiding from me… I wonder what else he could do…

"Thanks, Sparx…" I huffed. "I owe you one, buddy…"

Sparx made a boasting face and swiped his shoulders with his arms, as if he was wiping dust off it. I rolled my eyes… Show off.

"Who was that?" I wondered, looking at the unconscious creature that laid by me.

I took a look at the creature's features. The horns, tail and wings retained from her shadowy form but she now looked very familiar in terms of species.

She was a dragon… just like me.

She was a black dragon with a ruby underbelly, a tail-blade and blades on her wing carpals, big wings with ruby membranes, and six silver-white horns on her head. She also had two metal bracers on her wrists, a choker on her neck, and another pair of bracers on her tail which all seemed to fit loosely on her. She also has these odd symbols on her forehead, back, shoulders, and around her eyes.

I've never seen a dragon like this before. She was so… she was so…

_Beautiful… _

Wait… why did I just think that? She literally tried to kill me and now I think she's the most beautiful thing to ever walk the Realms… Damn it, just did it again…

But who was she? Why did she try and attack me? Was she alone, begging for scraps? Or was she some sort of assassin? She kind-of had a hidden blade, so maybe…

Sparx suddenly started snapping his fingers in my direction which snapped me out of my thought process.

"Uh? What is it, Sparx?" I questioned, wanting to know why he was snapping his fingers.

Sparx responded by shaking his head disapprovingly and rolling his eyes. He then started to rant at me.

"Woah, woah, that was not what I was thinking about! She tried to kill me!" I argued, denying Sparx's claims of me being lovestruck with the unconscious dragon. "I was thinking about what to do with her after you knocked her out…"

Sparx made a sarcastic buzzing noise that sounded like "Sure, Spyro… I believe you..." I rolled my eyes and went closer to the dragon.

I couldn't leave her here out in the open, she could either die or possibly try and track me down again. I couldn't let her go either, she would tell Malefor where I was if it was indeed that Malefor was the one that sent her after me.

The idea of taking her with us instantly became the best option. But how? She won't just walk alongside us, she'll just run away. An idea occurred in my head, an idea that made feel a little uncomfortable… but it was the best option that we've got so far…

"Sparx, have you got any rope?" I wondered.

Sparx nodded and then gave me a questioning buzz in response.

"Well I want to tie her up and take her with us… we can't leave her here." I explained which made Sparx even more confused. I sighed. "She might've been sent by Malefor so if we take her with us, she won't run away to tell him that we're here… you heard Ignitus… we can't be discovered." I explained further and I could tell that Sparx finally understood what I meant. "Now help me put her on my back…"

Sparx raised an eyebrow. I sighed in annoyance. "Don't give me that look… how else I'm going to get her places? I'm not going to drag her on the ground!"

Sparx then went along with my plan and lifted her off the ground. Yeah I know, I'm surprised too… either he was really strong or perhaps the dragon was very, very light. She looked around the same age as me and Sparx could never pick me up…

Sparx struggled to lift the dragon onto my back, I could see it in his face. Eventually he laid the dragon on my back, her body facing the side so that she wouldn't go blind from the sunlight when she eventually woke up. She actually felt light so I wasn't worried about struggling to walk from her weight on my back.

Sparx then grabbed some rope out of nowhere (Again… I have no idea where he carries this stuff…) and wrapped it around the dragon and my stomach, securing her to me. It felt a little uncomfortable but it should be fine.

The dragon's body was wrapped securely in the rope except for her tail. Sparx assured me that the rope was dragon-proof, which made sense since the dragons would accidentally cut the rope with their claws when they were trying to work with it. Then again… I've never seen that actually happen…

"Is she secure?"

Sparx nodded and I shook my body around to make sure that the dragon wasn't going to fall off. I stopped after seeing the dragon stir and move her head around. Satisfied with how Sparx tied her up, I started to walk further towards the castle.

As I felt the dragon slowly start to wake up on my back, I began to wonder: Who is she and where did she come from?

**() **

_Sometime after the attack on the Artisan Valley..._

**(CYNDER's POV)**

It finally happened. We actually did it.

The purple dragon was going to meet his end…

Gnasty Gnorc and his army had marched into the portal into the Artisan Valley a couple of hours. I stood by the portal, eagerly waiting for Gnasty to bring the bloody and broken purple dragon to my father's knees.

What was taking him so long? He should be back by now… did something happen to him? Surely the purple dragon didn't put up _much_ of a fight…

"Still waiting, daughter?" Dad wondered as he walked up next to me. He sounded calm... which is very odd since he's never calm. His mood calendar is always constantly on grumpy…

"Something's wrong… they should be back by now."

"Yes… they should be. Gnasty must be getting old…" Dad muttered harshly.

Suddenly the portal started to flicker, my eyes widened with excitement. This is it…

The portal fully opened, a swirl of colours lighting up the room with a varied amount of colours that could make someone go blind. Gnorcs started to emerge from the portal, their armour blackened and broken in a similar way that they look after Dad has had a hissy fit when they've accidentally undercooked his lunch. As more of the Gnorcs emerged, there was no sign of Gnasty Gnorc. What could've happened to him?

"Report." Dad growled, all signs of his calm demeanour disappearing after seeing the Gnorcs in their defeated state.

"The General went out to find the purple dragon in the Dragon Temple… he didn't return when we retreated. We have assumed the worst, Master…" One of the Gnorcs reported, sounding tired and drained.

It couldn't be… Gnasty Gnorc was _dead? _No… that's impossible.

"Disappointing… he should've known better." Dad said without a hint of sorrow in his voice. Seriously, Dad? He was one of your best generals and you couldn't have just a little sympathy for him? "What's the status on the Guardians?"

Guardians? What was he talking about? I thought the point of this whole attack was to get the purple dragon…

"Settling into their prisons nicely… although we failed to capture Ignitus…" The Gnorc responded, saying the last bit more quietly.

Uh oh, he shouldn't have said that…

I could see Dad's face quickly turned from grumpy to just plain pissed off. I could even see one of his eyes twitch with anger.

"WHAT!?" Dad roared, the room shaking from his bellowing voice.

"But master… he wasn't at the borders…" The Gnorc tried to explain.

"You had one job… capture _all _of the Guardians! What part of 'all Guardians' don't your tiny brains understand!?" Dad barked. "You all knew damn well that Ignitus was the main priority!"

"But master, The General was the one…" Before the Gnorc could finish his sentence, Dad shot an ice shard right through the Gnorc's chest. Everyone jumped at the sudden reaction and stared wide-eyed as the shard was embedded in the ground behind the Gnorc, covered in blood. The Gnorc stared at my father with a shocked look on his face before collapsing on the ground dead, a small pool of blood oozing around the Gnorc.

"Pathetic…" Dad muttered before frowning at the rest of the Gnorcs. "Does anyone else have any lame excuses?"

The Gnorcs all shook their heads fearfully. "Good…" Dad said with a slight evil grin. "Now I'm off to High Caves… assuming that Terrador was placed there?"

"Yes master…" All the Gnorcs said in unison. They sounded scared, which I don't blame them… one of their own was literally killed brutally in front of them. Only one thing scares something as big as the Gnorcs… and that would be my father…

"Dad, can I come too?" I asked eagerly. If Dad was going to torture and/or interrograte one of the Guardians, I want to see it for myself. To see them getting beat up for trying to smash me when I was an egg…

Dad didn't even turn and look at me as he made his way to the portal "No."

"But…" I tried to argue. I could handle a lot of blood, I've seen it everyday because of him…

Dad turned and frowned at me. "No means no, Cynder!"

I opened my mouth to counter-argue but I closed it after realising that I couldn't win. You couldn't top the word 'No'. At this point, I was so fed up with my father… I'm not Daddy's Little Terror of the Skies anymore, I can handle anything!

"I expect you to still be in this mountain when I come back…" Dad said before motioning for the Gnorcs to follow him.

"Whatever you say, asshole…" I muttered under my breath so that the so-called Dark Master couldn't hear me. I was beyond angry with him… he never lets me do anything. Hell, I don't think I've ever set foot outside the mountain… the only glimpse I can get of the world is from the view of my bedroom window!

"What did you say!?" The Dark Master spat, darting his head in my direction. I'm so mad at him, I can't even call him Dad in my narration…

I rolled my eyes and frowned at him. "Oh, nothing…" I said, gritting my teeth.

Malefor frowned and stared at me with his evil, piercing eyes. "That's what I thought…"

The Dark Master and his Gnorcs then went into the portal and disappeared, the swirling colours getting smaller and smaller before vanishing completely.

Wow… not even a goodbye…

Oh, what am I saying? He never says goodbye to me…

I stared at the portal. Without second guessing myself, I knew exactly what I was going to do… I was going to find that little purple bastard and slay him where he stood. That'll show my father that I'm not useless… I can actually fight and kill without making a fool out of myself…

But where would he be? Surely not the Artisan Valley since it was just attacked… Perhaps I should start with one of the places where the Guardians are being taken? Maybe this Ignitus fellow would be stupid enough to send the purple dragon to find the Guardians… if he was my age, he would be quick and small enough to sneak past my father's army. Sometimes even I can walk past the Gnorcs and they wouldn't see me coming… they may be good at fighting but their eyesight is just terrible…

Luckily I knew the codes to some of the worlds when I eavesdropped on my father and Gnasty plotting out how to attack the Artisan Valley… thank you shadow element.

I bounded towards the portal and went to the side to type in one of the codes. High Caves was automatically not an option since my Dad was there… Molten Crater? Nah, sounds dangerous for someone going out into the world for the first time… Okay, Summer Forest it is then…

I typed in the code for Summer Forest which was 1999. Had to be an easy code in order for the Gnorcs and Apes to remember them. Not the Grublins though… they can't remember shit.

As soon as I entered the code, the portal began to spark into life. The blinding swirling colours returned instantly, hitting me with a bright light.

I took a deep breath. This was it, I was leaving. Without hesitation, I jumped in the portal.

**() **

Home went away in an instant. Suddenly I found myself in a brand new world and man… it was bright outside…

There were tall trees that surrounded the place, good thing too… that sun was way too hot for me… or maybe that was just my black scales absorbing it. There was also a pond which was fed by a couple of streams. I couldn't believe how clear the water was, I've never seen water like that before.

Then I looked upon the castle, which was hidden amongst the many trees. This was the place that one of the Guardians was being held? Where's all the Gnorcs? Or the Apes? Or even Grublins? Have they even arrived yet? Surely they must have by now…

I started to walk towards the castle when I turned to see the portal was making noises. Uh oh, somebody was coming through the portal. Fear quickly took over every of my senses, activating my shadow form.

I've tried to get this whole new shadow element under control… ever since I've got it, I've been training myself so that I could turn into a shadow at will. I've managed to do so when I eavesdropped on the meeting between Gnasty and my father but that was the only time I've done so…

Now I just turn into a shadow whenever my emotions are out of whack… so when I'm sad, scared or lonely, I become a shadow.

But becoming a shadow right now was probably a good thing which means whoever comes through the portal won't ever see me. I quickly scampered into the nearby bush and watched the portal, cautiously waiting for something to exit the portal.

Then I couldn't believe what emerged from the portal…

It was him. It was the purple dragon… Although different than I expected him to be…

He didn't look deadly or dangerous… not even threatening. In fact he looked kinda _cute… _Ew, why did I think that?

The purple dragon looked about my age, he looked a little taller than I was. Besides from his purple scales, he had a yellowy orange underbelly which matched the same colour as his horns, wings (his membranes were a plain orange which blended in nicely with his wing joints) and that weird egg-shaped thing at the end of his tail… seriously what was that? His eyebrows were thick and looked like they were carved into his head. His eyes were also purple, like his scales, but they looked like the eyes of an explorer rather than a killer.

Seriously? This was the dragon that my dad was so afraid of? Wow… just wow… This was going to be easier than I thought. I'll kill the purple dragon and be back home before lunchtime.

I waited until the purple dragon started to walk towards the bushes where I was. What was he doing? Sneaking? There's nobody here!

Once he got closer, I started to quietly stalk him by laying close to the ground, preparing to pounce at him.

_SNAP! _

Crap! I accidentally stood on a twig. I buried myself deeper into the bushes as the purple dragon darted his head in my direction. I don't know why I hid, he wouldn't be able to see me since I'm in my shadow form…

"Sparx, did you hear that?" I heard the purple dragon say. His voice had a hint of fear… he's scared. Good… But I wonder who he was talking to…

As I looked to see the purple dragon edging closer and closer towards the bushes, I couldn't wait anymore…

I shot out of the bushes and tackled the purple dragon to the ground, taking him by surprise. I managed to pin him onto the ground easily, it was like he had no idea how to fight… Once I pinned him to the ground, I raised my tail blade and directed it towards his throat.

"End of the line, purple dragon…" I growled, my voice being strangely filtered for some reason.

This was it. I was going to do it…

But… he looked so scared, it just didn't seem right…

No. I'm not second guessing myself… not now. Not when I've come so far. He's literally right in front of me, just do it!

I don't know what happened next… I felt like something hit me in the back of the head, like an energy blast of some sort. I suddenly felt very dizzy, my vision became blurred… I started to lose focus, I felt like my shadow form was disappearing…

And then… everything went black…

**() **

I woke to find myself moving. I didn't feel like I was moving but everything else was…

Where am I? What happened to me?

Why couldn't I move?

I looked around to find that I was tied up. Great, just great… and the worst thing was, I was tied up to the purple dragon. I struggled through the ropes that I was tied in, how did he even do this? My tail was free so I tried to cut the rope with my tail-blade… it didn't even cut.

"What the?" I mumbled, trying to move through the ropes.

"Oh good, you're awake…"

Huh? Was the purple dragon trying to talk to me? Why didn't he sound angry? I tried to kill him a couple of minutes ago…

"Are you talking to me?" I wondered with curiosity.

"Yes, who else would I be talking to?" The purple dragon answered.

Why did he sound so nice? He should be pissed, was there something wrong with him?

"Sorry about the rope by the way... I couldn't exactly let you run free…" The purple dragon said.

"I don't care about being tied up, I'm more curious to know why I am tied to _you?_" I questioned angrily. "You couldn't just link us together with the rope!?"

"You were knocked out by my dragonfly... if I did that, then I'd be dragging you across the ground..."

If my paws were free, I would've face-palmed. He could not be serious… I was knocked out by a dragonfly… This was so not how I thought my day was going to go. I started to grumble under my breath, which irritated the purple dragon.

"Hey, I'm not exactly fond of this either… so excuse me if this isn't to your liking, I've got a lot on my mind at the moment…" The purple dragon snapped. Now he was angry…

"Then why did you bring me with you!?" I wondered, questioning his logic.

"I said before, I couldn't let you run back to your master…" The purple dragon answered. "I'm on a discreet mission and I don't want to be discovered right now…"

"Does it involve the Guardians by any chance?"

The purple dragon stopped in his tracks and slightly turned his head back to face me. "How do you know about that?"

I rolled my eyes. "Because I know things… and if you let me go, I can tell you…"

"Nice try…" The purple dragon scoffed. "I'm not that stupid…"

So much for that…

"But… I am curious to know how you found me so easily…" The purple dragon continued. "How did your master know where I was?"

Master…? What was he on about?

"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about…" I answered, slightly confused.

"You know, the person who hired you to kill me…" The purple dragon said, trying to make me understand. "That's usually how assassins work…"

Wait, what? It's kind of flattering that he thought that I was an assassin… but I was still confused as to why he would think that. "Do you think I'm an assassin?" I wondered.

"Well, judging from the way you hiding in the bushes and how you look shadowy before… yes." The purple dragon answered. "Was I wrong to think that?"

"Well, it's a long story…"

"I've got time."

"Basically I found you by coincidence…" I admitted. "I got here just before you did… when I saw you, I saw my chance and took it…"

"So _why_ were trying to kill me again?" The purple dragon questioned.

"My father hates you… I just wanted to make him proud." I replied. "But as always, I mess up…" I was tied up with no escape, I may as well tell him why… plus he was just too nice to just ignore.

Was I warming up to this dragon after trying to murder him? That couldn't be possible…

"Well if Sparx didn't intervene, you may have succeeded…" The purple dragon said.

"It wasn't that… I hesitated, I've never hesitated before…"

"Maybe it was my charm…" The purple dragon joked.

I couldn't help but snicker. Okay, What was happening to me? I never snicker… I don't even know why I'm talking to someone that I've hated my whole life. Maybe it was because of being alone for the same amount of time? I just don't know…

I wonder if he was thinking the same thing?

"I'm Spyro by the way…" The purple dragon introduced himself. He was telling me his name, why would he do that? After what happened today? "What's your name?"

"Why do you want to know?" I questioned.

"Because it's the first thing that creatures want to know when they first meet…" Spyro explained. "Plus I figured since literally we're stuck with each other for a while, maybe we could get to know each other…"

I thought about it for a while. He was the purple dragon… he was supposed to be my enemy. If Dad saw what I was doing, he would freak out… more than usual.

But he didn't seem threatening, he was friendly. No one's this friendly… especially since I tried to kill him…

"Or you don't have to…" Spyro continued, sounding slightly upset. "I mean, I don't blame you… I did tie you up and I'm technically kidnapping you…"

"Cynder…" I interjected. "My name is Cynder."

Spyro slightly turned his head. "Cynder, huh?" He said. "I like that name…"

A small smile formed across my face when he said he liked my name. It was so awkward smiling since I rarely do it. Home was always depressing… It has always a lingering thought in the back of my head… didn't think I would ever say it out loud in my head.

Maybe this purple dragon isn't as bad as I thought he would be…

**Yay! Spyro and Cynder finally meet! It took 5 chapters but we're finally got there! **

**Since we're in the 5 chapter mark, I would like to thank all that's favorited and followed this story! I'm giving a particular shoutout to IllusionMaster17 and OverWorldNeko for reviewing every single chapter so far. Thanks a bunch guys, I appreciate it! **

**Anyway, I'll be updating: This, A Tale to Tell, Written in the Stars and Marvel vs Cartoon Network: Infinite Fate. **

**Coming soon will be: Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street, A reboot to The Time Lord and the Wattersons and Convergence, which will serve as a reboot to the Civil War series. **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y!**_


	6. Don't Stop Me Now

**Welcome back. Last time Ignitus sent Spyro to find the Guardians, who had been captured by Malefor's forces. Spyro then goes to Summer Forest and encounters Cynder, who had run away from home to kill him. After Cynder gets knocked out by Sparx, Spyro is forced to take her with him so that he doesn't get discovered. **

**Will Spyro and Cynder warm up to each other? Well… let's find out! **

**(Chapter 6: Don't Stop Me Now) **

_In Summer Forest, two dragons meet… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

So this just happened…

One minute, I was sneaking towards the castle in Summer Forest then the next minute I get attacked by some sort of assassin. Only it turned out to be a deadly black-scaled dragoness aiming to kill me to get her father's approval… whoever that was.

Cynder wasn't what she seemed. She may have started to warm up to me despite us being tied up together… but there was something about her that made me curious… like she was hiding something. I wonder what it could be...

After a long walk, I finally made it to the castle. I looked around for any signs of danger at the front gate… strange, there was none. No bad guys in sight, not even guard dogs or anything… Sparx and I exchanged glances, he responded by shrugging his shoulders.

"Odd…" I murmured. Something wasn't right here, where was everybody?

"What's wrong?" Cynder wondered.

"Something doesn't seem right… there's nobody here…"

"What?" Cynder sounded much more concerned, like she was expecting guards to be there. Cynder tried to shuffle around to see where I was looking.

"Hey… take it easy back there…" I grunted, Cynder's shuffling making me wince in pain.

Cynder groaned in annoyance and returned to her natural position that she was tied up in. "Sorry, jeez… I just wanted to see..." She grumbled.

I looked behind me. I didn't have to see her face to know that she was grumpy… not at me, just being _tied up _to me.

"What is your problem?" I asked softly. I really didn't want to start an argument over limited visibility, that was the least of my priorities right now…

"Problem?" Cynder scoffed angrily. "You try being tied up to the back of someone and you'll see what I mean!"

Man, she was feisty… but honestly, can you blame her? I probably wouldn't be happy if I was tied up to somebody against my will. I couldn't risk her running off, she might know a thing or two about Malefor's plans or perhaps even the big evil dragon himself… who knows?

But if I leave her tied up then she'll be in a grumpy mood and I don't want to really deal with that right now. Now I know how Ignitus and the rest of the Guardians feels when they're dealing with me…

I sighed, I hope I don't regret this... "Look, if I untie you… will you promise not to run away?"

Cynder's eyes lit up at this point. "Yes, I promise!" She agreed eagerly.

I smiled from her sudden change of tone, I knew I made the right call! Thanks to her eagerness, I got to see more of her eyes… eyes that were the colour of green emeralds… eyes that were so… pretty… so pretty, anyone can get lost looking into them…

"Spyro?"

"Uh-huh?" I replied dreamily. Why can't I stop looking at those eyes?

"SPYRO!?"

I suddenly snapped back into reality and blinked. "Uh, what?" I wondered, being aware of everything around me again.

"Are you going to untie me or not?"

"Oh… oh, yes… course I will!" I answered really quickly, blushing embarrassingly. "Just was lost in my thoughts… you know, thinking about the Guardians' safety and all that…"

Cynder slightly frowned at my response. I mentally face-palmed. Why was I acting like this? I'm never usually nervous around girls… or maybe I was and I never noticed? I just don't know why I'm acting weird… Was I-? No, I couldn't be… No, I just met her… she literally tried to kill me a while ago!

I turned to Sparx, quickly ensuring that Cynder wouldn't question anything. "Sparx, can you untie her please?"

Sparx nodded and went to tend to Cynder's ropes. As he was untying her, he shot a look towards me and disapprovingly buzzed at me.

"Sparx, shut up… it wasn't like that." I hissed at him, knowing fully well that it was like what Sparx suggested.

"Wasn't like what?" Cynder wondered.

Uh-oh, she overheard! Great… thanks a lot Sparx!

"Uh… it's nothing! Just Sparx talking nonsense!" I blurted out, Sparx shooting another glance at me and slowly shaking his head disapprovingly. Urgh, what's wrong with me today?

"Talking? You can understand him?" Cynder questioned as the ropes started to loosen around her.

"Wait, you don't know what he's saying?" Odd, everyone else back at the Artisan Valley can understand what Sparx was saying, why couldn't Cynder? I always thought it was something in our biology that allowed us to understand the dragonflies… Interesting…

"No, all I hear is constant buzzing which is starting to get on my nerves…" Cynder said, causing Sparx to give her an angry glance. "What is the deal with the insect anyway?"

"Dragonfly." I corrected. "And he's meant to get me back on track whenever I lose focus on what I'm doing… and now I recently learned that he keeps me alive."

"Seriously? This tiny thing keeps you alive?" Cynder pondered, sounding unconvinced. "I highly doubt that."

I chuckled. "You'd be surprised…"

Eventually Sparx managed to untie the ropes that tied Cynder to me. Once the ropes were out of the way, Cynder eagerly jumped off my back (which made me wince a little bit but I didn't make a big deal out of it) and stretched.

"Ah… that feels so much better. It was getting cramped in those ropes..."

As she hunched back, I couldn't help but blush as I stared at her… her scales, her horns, her sleek body. How could a dragon be so… perfect?

Snap of it, Spyro… she tried to kill you to get her father's approval, remember? You gotta find the Guardians, that's the priority…

I would've kept staring until Sparx flew into my eyesight and caused me to snap back into reality. Good thing too, that's the second time today I stared at Cynder… I didn't want to come across as creepy or anything.

Cynder sat on her haunches and gave a slight smile. "See? Not running away."

Sparx flew up to my ear and whispered into it. He suggested that he can use the rope to tie Cynder to me in a very similar way to a leash.

"There's no need for that, Sparx. I trust her not to run off…" I refused Sparx's suggestion, shaking my head. When I mention that I trusted her, Sparx's eyes widened and his mouth slightly opened in shock. He then proceeded to rant confusingly, ranging from "What do you mean trust her? You just met her!" to "She tried to kill you and suddenly you let her free… what's the world coming to?". Thank the Ancestors that Cynder couldn't hear anything!

I waved my paws around to calm him down and shut him up. "Woah, woah… calm down, Sparx!" I exclaimed, lowering my voice to a whisper so that Cynder couldn't hear me. "Look, if you are so concerned about her then you can keep an eye on her… but I know that she can be trusted… I have a feeling."

Sparx responded by rolling his eyes but he ultimately agreed to keep an eye on her. "Okay, that's sorted then. Let's keep moving…" I said as I headed into the castle, Cynder and Sparx trailing behind me.

**() **

Inside of the castle was your typical castle… stone walls, a few tapestries here and there and of course, how could I forget the spooky dragon suits of armour. I found it interesting that they almost resembled Ignitus in a way, the helmet was shaped like his head, even the wings kind of looked the same…

Man, I could use some of Ignitus' advice right now… what would he say about Cynder? What would he do if Cynder attacked him? Would he have kept her around, like I did? I just don't know…

I noticed that Cynder was looking around, looking uneasy and a little bit worried. Almost as if she was thinking of something… or perhaps hiding something?

I looked around to see if Sparx was nearby and when I saw him zooming through the suits of armour, I decided to walk towards Cynder. When I got close to her, I hesitated… I haven't been really good at starting conversations, I had to rely on some of the Guardians to start the conversations and then I would join in later.

Come on, Spyro… you did it before when she woke up, you can do it again. Just talk to her…

"Hey, you okay?" I wondered.

Cynder didn't look at me. "Yeah, I'm fine…" She replied in an anxious tone.

"You sure?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "You don't sound fine…"

"I don't want to talk about it…" Cynder muttered, walking further away from me. What was she hiding? I jogged after her and eventually caught up with her again.

"If it's about Sparx… he's just doing his job, I'm sure he'll warm up to you." I assured.

"It's not that…"

"Then..."

"I don't want to talk about it!" Cynder growled, slightly raising her voice. When she saw my shocked expression from her change in tone, she took a deep breath. "Just drop it, okay?" She said in a calmer tone.

I stood there motionless as she turned into another corridor and lowered my head in sadness. Why was she pushing me away? Is she not used to talking to other dragons? Perhaps, it was me… didn't she want to talk to me? I mean, I did tie her up against her will… but she was warming up to me… at least, I thought she was. Was she repulsed by me? Am I being _too_ friendly?

What was I doing wrong?

"Psst, Spyro…" Cynder popped her head around the corner. "Over here…"

Sparx and I briefly exchanged looks before we followed Cynder around the corridor. We hid behind the archway to catch a glimpse of what was going on. It looked like all the guards were in this particular area. There were about 15 of them, most of them looked like mini-versions of Gnasty Gnorc. I guess these guys didn't get the memo that I turned their leader into ash… Or perhaps Gnasty wasn't truly in charge?

Then there were big massive monkeys as well. Big brutes with a smell that could ward off the smallest of insects… Pee-yew!

Smelly monkeys aside, something got me curious. What were they all surrounding? It looked like a cage of some kind. What interested so much that they left their posts? I had a hunch… I just hope that I'm wrong…

One of the smaller Gnorcs moved aside to allow me to see what was in the cage. My face fell when I saw those familiar yellow scales and the grey horns…

It was Volteer.

**(CYNDER's POV) **

There he was.

The time has finally come for me to set my sights on at least one of those bastards that claim to be Guardians. Odd... I thought he'd look at least a little more threatening for someone that tried to smash my egg.

This particular so-called Guardian had yellow scales with a few patches being lighter than the rest of him, it was interesting that they looked like sparks of electricity. The underbelly, horns, frills and practically everything that was attached to the main body were a dark stormy grey. His appearance didn't exactly scream 'egg smasher' but then again appearances can be deceiving.

"Great, you found Volteer!" Spyro said cheerfully. "So how are we going to get past these guys?" He then wondered, stroking his chin.

Exhibit A for deceiving appearances… the purple dragon himself.

Spyro is friendly, there was no doubt about that. But just one question lingered in the back of my head… why?

I attacked him, almost ended his life and he makes it seem that it was all a game, like we were playing make believe. I may not know anything about being friendly but I definitely know that you shouldn't make friends with your would-be killer. That just couldn't be done, it was impossible!

Yet… Spyro easily warmed up to me. Me out of all creatures… why?

Maybe this was his plan? Get close to me then WHAM, they've captured the daughter of the Dark Master… simple as that. But there was a tiny flaw in that plan…

Spyro had no idea who I really was.

To him, I was just a young wanna-be assassin that had father issues and I plan to keep it that way. Sounded enough like me to make it believable... I couldn't tell him who I really was because something told me that he wouldn't exactly approve of my true identity… I wouldn't blame him, why would anyone want to be friends with Malefor's daughter anyway?

"Cynder?" Spyro suddenly spoke up.

I snapped out of my thought process and blinked. "Uh?"

"Did you hear what I said?" He asked.

"Something about having a plan?" I answered, remembering what Spyro asked him earlier.

"Do you?"

I shook my head. "No, I've got nothing…"

"Oh, that's good… because I've got one." Spyro said.

I frowned. "Why did you ask me if you already had a plan in mind?"

"I don't know…" Spyro shrugged. "Just thought to ask first… It's polite." He said while rubbing the back of his head in a nervous kind of way.

I mentally face-palmed. Why was he so nice? Don't get me wrong, I much rather him be nice than to be nasty… But why did I get the feeling that he was being _too _nice?

"Ok…" I sighed. "So what's your plan?"

"Simple… I create a distraction while you sneak around and free Volteer." Spyro explained.

"Why do I have to free the Guardian?" I questioned, sounding more harsher than I intended it to be.

"Well… since you have that ability of yours that made yourself look darker and filtered your voice… I thought you were more capable. " Spyro replied.

Was he talking about my shadow element? I mean… Of course he was, what other abilities do I have?

I knew I wasn't confident in controlling my element at will. Other plans formed in my head that involved not using my shadow element. I knew that the Apes and Gnorcs had to die since they would tell my dad if they escaped and I don't want to have to worry about my father at the moment. One popped into my head a couple of times… one that involved blowing my cover but it was a risk I was willing to take…

"I think I've got a better idea…"

Spyro raised an eyebrow. "Um… ok. What?" he wondered.

"You can breathe fire right?" I asked, remembering that Spyro probably shared the same elements as my father.

"Yeah…"

"Well, wait out in the corridor and I'll lure whoever I can towards you and you can burn them…" I explained.

Spyro and his dragonfly… What was his name again? Sparx? Anyway Spyro and Sparx exchanged looks with each other. I suddenly realised that my plan sounded a lot like Spyro's plan but except you know… more killing. But they eventually nodded. "I like it…" Spyro said in agreement. "All I need is a pile of hay to hide in…" He chuckled.

What would he need to hide in a pile of hay? Was this another reference to me being some sort of assassin? I just don't get it…

"Hay? Why do you want to hide in hay?" I questioned.

Spyro's eyes widened at my question. "Oh no, I was just joking… I was making a reference to something…" He answered.

"Right…" I muttered. "Can we get on with the plan?" I changed the subject so that I could avoid another awkward conversation.

Spyro nodded, slightly chuckling. "Yep, that sounds like a good idea…"

Once Spyro and Sparx headed down the corridor and got into position, I waited till they got out of view so that I could do my part of the plan. I couldn't risk blowing my cover… not now.

I emerged from my hiding place and wandered towards the Gnorcs and Apes that were watching over Volteer, which was apparently the name of the Guardian. I couldn't care less… I didn't even know why I was helping Spyro free him.

I cleared my throat loudly which caused the Gnorcs and Apes to turn around confusingly. Even Volteer cocked his head slightly with curiosity. As soon as the Gnorcs and Apes recognised me, they immediately got down to their knees.

"Mistress Cynder, Daughter of Malefor the Dark Master… we were not expecting your presence…" A Gnorc said.

"What brings you to Summer Forest?" Another Gnorc questioned. "I thought your father…"

"My father brought me here…" I quickly interjected. "He's down that corridor, he wants to see you personally to check on your progress." I gestured to the corridor where Spyro was hiding.

The Gnorcs and Apes all exchanged looks with one another before eventually nodding and moving towards the corridor. As soon as I heard noises of burning fire and the surprised gasps of the Gnorcs and Apes, I moved towards Volteer's cage which had a simple lock that was integrated into the door. Knowing well that the Gnorcs probably threw out the key, I stood up onto my hind legs since the cage was bigger than me and started to pick at the lock with my claws.

"Fascinating, interesting, captivating…" Volteer rambled. Did he really have to do that while I was reluctantly rescuing him?

"Shut up!" I hissed angrily. "You'll give us away!"

As soon as I managed to pick the lock, Spyro and Sparx came back from burning the Gnorcs and Apes. As Volteer exited the cage, Spyro's eyes lit up and immediately ran towards the Guardian. "Volteer!" He said excitedly while hugging him.

Volteer smiled and hugged Spyro back with one of his paws. "It's wonderful, magnificent, marvellous to see you too, Spyro…"

"I'm so glad you're okay!"

I am now… thanks to your friend here." Volteer looked over to me.

"Yeah, yeah… whatever." I muttered, glaring at the Guardian.

Spyro frowned and looked up at Volteer. "Just give me a second…" He murmured before heading towards me, a confused yet annoyed look on his face.

"What is your problem?"

"I don't know what you're talking about…" I muttered.

"Volteer is thanking you for setting him free and you're being rude about it…" Spyro said.

From that 'sweet' little moment that him and Volteer had, I didn't want to tell Spyro that Volteer and the rest of the Guardians were secretly cold-blooded killers "You wouldn't understand…" I grumbled.

"I would if you talked to me…" Spyro said softly. "You can trust me…"

I couldn't tell him… I just couldn't… I didn't want to hurt his feelings…

"If I may interrupt, suspend, adjourn, discontinue…" Volteer interjected suddenly.

I haven't even been near this particular Guardian for a long time and he was already getting on my nerves. The way he rambled like he was a walking thesaurus drove me nuts. How did Spyro cope with him all these years?

Out of the blue I growled at Volteer, causing his eyes to widen as he stepped back from me in complete shock.

"Cynder! What is the matter with you!?" Spyro snapped, getting even more pissed with me.

"What's the matter with me!?" I snapped back. "Why don't you ask what's the matter with Volteer!?"

Spyro blinked in confusion. "I don't understand…"

"Then I'll make it clear then…" I started to exclaim. Every part of my brain was shouting 'don't do it, don't do it'. But I figured… screw it, he needs to know. "Your Guardian pals are a bunch of murderers, I should know that because they tried to smash me when I was an egg!"

Spyro looked at me wide-eyed then looked at Volteer, who was surprisingly shocked, then back to me again. But before Spyro could react, more Gnorcs and Apes started to swarm in as they started to swarm Spyro, Volteer and I. They pointed their weapons towards Spyro and Volteer before turning to me.

"We've got the purple dragon and the Electricity Guardian surrounded… What are your orders, Mistress Cynder?" The Ape closest to me wondered.

Spyro looked at me hurtfully. "Mistress? What is he talking about, Cynder?"

The Ape shoved his weapon closer to Spyro's throat. "How dare you address the Daughter of Malefor!?"

"What…?" Spyro questioned, sounding quite upset. This wasn't the way I was planning on telling him, I dreaded every minute of seeing him enjoy my company because I knew somewhere down the line I would see the look of betrayal on his face. The same look at I saw as he turned to face me again.

"Volteer… please tell me they're lying… Please…" He insisted to Volteer as he looked towards him but the Guardian remained quiet, a sad look on his face.

"They're not lying, Spyro…" I murmured.

That face again. I couldn't bear to see him look so hurt. But I couldn't hide it anymore.

"Cynder… don't say it… please don't…" He begged.

I lowered my head in sadness. I didn't want to see his face when I told him, I didn't want to see him get hurt. "I'm Malefor's daughter…" I admitted.

There it was, the ice-breaker… I saw the look on Spyro's face, he was the first dragon that I met that wasn't my father, someone that could've been my friend, someone that wasn't afraid to be close to me… and now I'm never going to get that chance again…

I then saw something fuel up inside Spyro, he was breathing heavily in an angry sort of way. His eyes started to glow yellow and sparks of electricity started to crackle all around his body.

"What's he doing?" A Gnorc wondered.

"Spyro…?" Volteer also questioned worryingly after seeing Spyro's sudden power-up.

"NO! NO! IT'S NOT TRUE!" Spyro snapped, referring to my confession.

Suddenly a beam of electricity erupted from Spyro's mouth, the electricity snaking around to the Gnorcs and Apes that were in front of him and shooting straight into their hearts which instantly killed him on the spot. No blood… they just collapsed. Sometimes the simple deaths can be the most brutal…

One thing was for certain… Spyro had discovered his Electricity element. He felt so betrayed by me that he killed those Gnorcs and Apes on the spot, showing no mercy whatsoever… just like what my father would do.

It was my fault... I did this to him. I've pointed towards him on the path that my father is currently on.

No. I couldn't let that happen… I couldn't let him become an asshole like my dad.

As bodies fell to the ground, the other Gnorcs and Apes retaliated and attacked Spyro and Volteer. Volteer was using more sophisticated attacks against the army, using his Electricity element more strategically when compared to Spyro who was trying to shoot a beam of electricity at a Gnorc but strangely missing him. His aim was correct but the electricity just refused to hit the Gnorc. It was really weird considering that he killed a bunch of them with the same element.

As Spyro was getting surrounded I raced towards him, slashing at the legs of a few Gnorcs with my tailblade then finishing the job by killing them with my claws. An Ape noticed this and backhanded me towards the wall. Somehow that made Spyro even angrier and tried to use his fire element to turn the Ape to ashes but another Ape grabbed his muzzle and pinned him to the ground, Spyro thrashing around to try and escape. Volteer tried to help but he too was surrounded.

It was down to me. I had to help.

That's when I felt something… something new. It wasn't my shadow form… so what could it be? Shadow Fire…? No that sounds dumb… A new element, perhaps? No… that's impossible, only purple dragons have more than one element and the last time I checked… I wasn't purple.

Whatever it was, I hope it helps…

I got back up and raced towards Spyro. "Get away from him!" I exclaimed.

I opened my mouth and a big and powerful gust of wind shot of it, knocking the variety of Gnorcs away from Spyro and towards the wall. One particular Ape was unlucky, he broke the window and fell out of it like he was in some sort of action movie… besides from the fact that the Ape probably wouldn't survive a fall from that height.

I had the Wind element. I _actually _had the Wind element. I guess I just needed the emotional push… sure beats Dad's 'encouragement' back home...

As I closed my mouth, I saw the damage I had done. The Gnorcs and Apes that I blew away laid on the ground, motionless. Seriously? Did they die...? Wow, that is pathetic.

Both Spyro and Volteer looked at me with absolute surprise, Spyro especially since he already knew about my shadow element.

"Woah…" Was all that Spyro muttered. I couldn't see that look of betrayal on his face but something told me that despite what I did, he was still mad at me.

"Indeed, that was some extraordinary, remarkable, astonishing power from the both of you…" Volteer chipped in. "Nice to see that you discovered the power of electricity, young dragon… I do believe Cyril now owes me some gems…" He said with a grin.

Spyro had a smirk on his face from Volteer's comment but when I looked at him to wonder what Volteer was talking about, he glared back to me with a frown on his face.

"Come on… let's get you back to the Artisan Valley, Volteer." Spyro said, looking back at Volteer and putting on more of a happy tone.

Volteer nodded. "Lead the way, Spyro."

Spyro and Volteer headed out of the castle with me trailing behind, my head lowered in shame. As we walked, Spyro nor Volteer didn't look back to see what I was doing… did they even know that I was still there? Well Sparx knew… he was the only one that turned around and acknowledge my existence.

I messed up… so bad. I think I just lost the only friend I ever had…

What have I done?

**()**

We've made our way towards the Portal at a fast pace. No one really spoke to one another… well mainly not speaking to me, I thought I could see Volteer and Spyro murmur something to each other. I couldn't figure out what they were saying since I was too far away to hear them.

I eventually caught up with them as they were standing by the Portal, I had no idea why they were waiting for me… I had no emotional connection to Volteer so why should I see him off?

"Ah… before I go, I wish to impart some words of wisdom upon young Cynder here…" Volteer said to Spyro as he at the Portal control panel.

My eyes widened. Me? He wants to talk to me? Not Spyro? But he was the purple dragon, he needs the 'words of wisdom' more than I do…

"Fine…" Spyro mumbled.

Volteer gestured for me to follow him with a smile. I followed suit, stopping at the edge of the forest which was only a few metres from where the portal was. I wondered what he wanted to talk to me about? Why would he even _want _to talk to me? I hated the Guardians, I growled at Volteer… it didn't make sense.

"So what words of wisdom did you want to say to me?" I wondered.

Volteer smiled again. "All I wanted to say was… thank you for choosing the right side. I couldn't imagine what it was like for you all these years..."

The right side...? Is that what side I'm on now? I mean, I already betrayed my father by leaving home and now I've killed some of his army to save the purple dragon which was his mortal enemy…

Life was hell when I was in that mountain… I didn't want to admit it but after today, I now want to shout it out to the world... He was wrong! My father was wrong about everything!

"Well, you have to thank Spyro for trusting me as he did…" I said, looking back towards Spyro with a sad look on my face.

How could I make him trust me again? I'm not like my dad and I never will be, Spyro has seen how I act… so why was he judging me because I said I was Malefor's daughter? He put his trust in me after I almost killed him so why wouldn't he trust me now?

"Don't mind Spyro, he gets sulky, moody, disgruntled sometimes…" Volteer assured when he saw that I was looking at Spyro sadly. "Trust me, I would know…" He said with a smile.

"But how can I make it up to him?" I questioned. "How can I convince him that I'm not my father…"

"It's quite simple. Show him that you're not…"

I frowned. "And how do I do that exactly?"

"As my friend Ignitus would say… follow your heart, it'll never fail you." Volteer advised.

"That doesn't help me in the slightest…" I muttered, slightly shaking my head.

"It may not right now…" Volteer said. "But it will in time."

I thought about those words for a moment… what did he mean by that? How would I even know when that time comes? His words of wisdom are becoming more like words of confusion at this point…

"Best be off…" Volteer suggested as he saw Spyro tapping his wrist in his direction. Geez, when did he become impatient all of a sudden? "Young Spyro has waited long enough…"

"Volteer… I'm sorry for, you know, growling at you earlier…" I apologised as he started to walk off. "I was wrong about you…" I admitted. Yesterday I hated the Guardians and I wanted to see them get hurt so badly but now I was admitting that I was wrong to think that… I'm full of surprises today!

"All is forgiven, Cynder…" Volteer looked back to me with another smile. "Seeing you save Spyro told me that you weren't like Malefor. Besides… it's always nice to see that Spyro has a friend that's not that dragonfly of his…"

Wait… Spyro was only friends with his dragonfly? Just from the way he acted, I assumed that he had lots of friends. But it seems that wasn't the case…

That explains everything. That's why he looked so heartbroken… I was his only friend…

Volteer and I made our way towards the Portal, which was now operational thanks to Spyro. I wonder how he knew the code to the Artisan Valley? Volteer probably told him I guess…

As Volteer was about to go into the Portal, he turned to us one last time. "Again, I wanted to thank you two for saving me…" He then turned to Spyro. "And Spyro… remember what I said to you about your Electricity Breath… it's all about control."

"I will, Volteer…" Spyro muttered.

"Good luck you two… May the Ancestors guide you..."

After those words of encouragement, Volteer stepped into the Portal and vanished. The swirl of colours that made up the Portal also disappearing along with him. He was gone, just like that…

Spyro made his way back to the Portal control panel and started typing in another code, still not uttering a single word at me since we left the castle.

I needed to fix this… right now.

"Spyro… can I talk to you for a second?"

Spyro didn't respond, he only looked at me with a single glare then back to the control panel. Was he giving me the cold shoulder? Couldn't blame him of course… and now I understood why.

I sighed. "Fine… if you won't talk, you can listen… I just wanted to say…"

Then suddenly the Portal sprung back to life again, the swirl of colours slowly getting larger and larger until it took over the empty space of the Portal.

Urgh, seriously? Just when I was about to apologise!

"Come on." Was all that Spyro said. It sounded like he was forced to let me come with him, as if his parents asked him to show me around his house in order to make us become friends or something…

"Spyro, wait!" I barked as he entered the Portal, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to talk to him!

I followed Spyro and Sparx into the Portal and watched as Summer Forest disappeared and a whole new world appear in front of my eyes.

**() **

As we enter the new world, everything seemed different, everything smelled different, everything felt different but I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with this place.

This world was very similar to Summer Forest: mostly a lush, vast, flat area of soft golden green grass, tall sheltering trees with a crystal-clear pond that could potentially feed several streams and possibly small waterfalls. There was even a castle in the middle of the forest but unlike Summer Forest, there were mini-mountains, and more hills and ramparts fencing it all in.

Don't get me wrong, everything looked beautiful… but it just felt like an alternate version of Summer Forest even though it was extremely cloudy outside.

As I looked around at the interesting world we just arrived in, Spyro saw my curiosity and cleared his throat to get my attention.

"Sunrise Spring is what this place is called… Ignitus used to tell me stories about this place when I was little…" Spyro explained as he saw me look around. "We'll rest here for a few days then we'll make our way to High Caves…" He added grimly.

He started to walk off before he stopped in his tracks and turned back towards me.

"Okay, before we go any further…" He said as he made his way towards me again. "Let's address the elephant in the room… or in fact the _Malefor _in the room…"

Here we go… the conversation I've been dreading.

"Look, I didn't want to tell you because…" I tried to explain but I could that Spyro was already not having it.

"Why!? Why didn't you want to tell me that you were Malefor's daughter!? Are you spying for him? Is this all a ruse to gain my trust?" Spyro snapped, interrupting me from explaining further.

"No! Just let me…" I tried to say. If he just calmed down... I could explain but since Spyro was bottling everything up, he couldn't control his anger.

"You know what's weird…" Spyro interjected once again. "You told me that the Guardians were murderers, you thought that they tried to smash you when you were an egg… so answer me this, why did you help me free Volteer?" He questioned angrily.

I didn't respond. I was too overwhelmed by Spyro getting angry at me that words failed to come out of my mouth.

"Why did you help me!? Why did you save me!? If you are so loyal to your father…" He barked, getting even more angrier.

"Because you weren't afraid of me!" I blurted very suddenly, getting annoyed at Spyro's shouting.

Spyro's eyes widened, all that anger quickly turned into confusion. He was not expecting that answer… and neither was I. As soon as I realised what I said, I looked down in shame.

"What…?" Was all that Spyro could mutter.

I couldn't take it anymore. I said too much… "You know what, forget it…"

Rain had started to pour down, matching the mood I was in at the moment. I couldn't talk to him… I didn't know why but I couldn't.

"Cynder, I…"

"JUST FORGET IT, OKAY!" I snapped, turning towards him briefly before walking off again. "Just leave me alone…" I muttered as I headed into the forest, leaving Spyro alone outside in the rain.

**(SPYRO's POV)**

Well done, Spyro… you've lost the only friend you ever had. She helped you and how did you repay her? By giving her the cold shoulder and snapping at her.

I stood there all alone in the rain watching as Cynder disappears into the forest and out of view, a flabbergasted look on my face.

She said that she only wanted to help because I wasn't afraid of her… not because she was a spy for a father… but because I made her feel like a normal creature.

What have I done? I shouldn't have yelled at her…

"Cynder, wait!" I called out, chasing after her. I couldn't leave her out in the rain, I have to go and find her. I can still fix this!

As I raced in the same direction Cynder went, Sparx flew into my eyeline and spread his arms as if he was blocking my path. As soon as I saw him I skidded and stopped in my tracks, my paws being covered in mud.

I try to evade Sparx by going around him but every direction I took, he would just quickly zoom in front of me. Why was this a problem? He was the size of my hand… I could get past him!

"What are you doing!?" I barked. "I can't leave her alone in the rain!"

Sparx buzzed angrily at me and pointed on his arms directly at me. He was accusing Cynder of being nothing but trouble and lots of other stuff that I probably shouldn't mention... I couldn't believe what Sparx was saying. He was there, he saw that Cynder was anything but trouble so why he was keeping me away? "Nothing but trouble!? She was just trying to help!"

Sparx's eyes widened then counter-argued that I was responsible for losing her in the first since I flat out ignored her because of her parentage… which was sadly true.

"Yes… I know I shouldn't have treated her as I did." I muttered. "That's why I want to find her, so I can apologise…"

Sparx was actually considering letting me go find her but a water droplet that fell from the tree quickly made him reconsider. I would have laughed if the circumstances were different. As he shook the water off his wings, he suggested that we should find shelter. I tried to argue but Sparx had already gone off to find shelter.

Even though I wanted to find Cynder more than anything, I decided to follow Sparx. Maybe Cynder will be fine until morning? I couldn't bear to leave her out there in the cold but thinking about, I couldn't exactly look for her either… there were the possibilities that Cynder hid herself with her shadow form in the bushes like when I first met her or possibly flew off to another realm through a portal that I didn't know about… I just don't know…

Wherever she was… I hope she was alright.

**() **

Sparx and I eventually found an open cave by the castle. We did try the castle but it was locked from the inside despite the fact that it looked like nobody was home. The cave was spacious enough and it kept us dry so it'll have to do.

Sparx had gathered a large amount of firewood which he questioned since everything was wet. I explained to him that since I generated a lot of heat with my Fire Breath, it didn't really matter if the wood was wet or not.

After I got the fire going, I decided to hunt for some food… I hadn't eaten since this morning! Luckily there were some sheep nearby that didn't seem to mind being in the rain… in fact I think they rather enjoyed it. Sparx, who was drying his wings, almost vomited when I brought a dead sheep back to the cave. He swallowed the vomit in his mouth and proceeded to have an angry rant at me.

I rolled my eyes. "You know, not everyone can eat butterflies like you…" I said as I started to skin the sheep.

As I was skinning the sheep, I looked outside to see if there was any sign of Cynder. I was starting to get worried at this point… was she alright? Was she dead? Oh please don't let her be dead…

Then I saw her…

Cynder suddenly came into view from the right side of the cave, she must've taken the same path as us… followed us perhaps?

But who cares? Cynder came back… she actually came back. Deep down I didn't expect her to come back but boy was I wrong!

Both Cynder and I glanced at each other, I gave her an apologetic smile to reassure her that everything was okay now… at least that's what I hope anyway. Cynder didn't return the smile, she only gave a cold glare and proceeded to curl herself in a ball closer to the castle, leaving her open to the elements.

She was still mad at me… can't say I blame her, I messed up big time. But if she was still mad at me then why did she come back? Why was she putting herself on the point of hyperthermia?

No… I can't see her suffer. I have to fix this.

I stopped skinning the sheep and made my way to where Cynder was. She was trying to go asleep but I couldn't help noticing that she was also… shivering?

Oh man… what was she doing to herself?

Almost instantly, I put my wing over her to prevent anymore rain falling on top of her. It wasn't going to stop the shivering but at least she won't get any worse. As soon as I put my wing over her, Cynder slowly lifted her head since she noticed that the rain stopped falling on her. When she realised it was me that was sheltering her, Cynder shot another cold glare and lowered her head to where it was before.

"What do you want?" She grumbled, not even looking at me.

"I just wanted to apologise for yelling at you earlier…" I replied softly.

"Well, I don't want your pity…" Cynder said, slightly raising her voice as she lifted her head up again. "Just leave me alone..." She muttered as she put her head back down again.

"And leave you out in the rain? You'll die out here…"

Cynder once again lifted her head again, this time looking at me with an angry look on her face. "Why do _you _care?" She growled. "I'm Malefor's daughter, remember!"

I sighed, my head lowering in shame. "Look, I know I shouldn't have judged you like that..."

Cynder scoffed. "Gee, you think?"

"And I just wanted…" I tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear it, Spyro!" Cynder interjected. "You know… for a second, I thought that all the stuff that my father said about you was total bull… guess I was wrong…" After muttering that last bit, Cynder turned around and recurled herself back into a ball.

"Cynder…"

"Just go away Spyro…" Cynder murmured, choking up slightly.

I stood there, unsure of what to do. I kept my wing firmly over her, I couldn't leave her in the rain… no one should suffer like that. Not even the daughter of Malefor. But the questions of her sudden reappearance still plagued my mind as well as other ones too.

"Why did you say that I wasn't afraid of you? You know when I asked why you helped me…" I wondered.

"Go. Away."

"I'm just trying to understand…" I said in a soft tone. "Please, Cynder…"

Cynder was silent for a second, as if she was thinking about what I was saying. She eventually lifted her head and turned to face me again.

She sighed. "Fine. Do you want to know why I helped you? Do you want to know why I came back? All my life I was surrounded by all of my father's minions… all cowering out of fear that I might get my dad to punish them or maybe they thought I'd do the job myself… but you? I tried to murder you and yet you were so friendly and kind to me… The one dragon to act that way in front of me… Was that the answer you wanted?"

I listened to every word she said. I knew that life with Malefor as your father wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows… but I had no idea that it was going to be like that, living a life where you are feared almost constantly. That made me realise something...

She was lonely… just like me.

All she wanted was a friend… and I pushed her away.

"I'm sorry, I had no idea…"

"No… you didn't…" Cynder muttered. "Look, I'm sorry for..."

"No…" I quickly said. "I should be the one apologising, I shouldn't have treated you as I did… that was so unlike me…"

"It's okay…" Cynder said. "I should've told you about who I really was sooner… I just wanted you to get to know me for _me… _does that make sense?"

I chuckled. "Heh, I know the feeling…"

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "You… do?"

"Yeah… everyone back home thinks I'm some sort of celebrity because of the colour of my scales." I explained. "But the truth is… I'm not…"

Cynder's eyes widened. "But look at what you did… you rescued Volteer, you took down all those Gnorcs and Apes. Would you want to be normal after all that?" She wondered.

Hmm… she did have a good point. If I wasn't purple, what would I be? A painter? Sculpter? Baker? I did all those things to find my 'artistic voice' but they never seem to interest me…

Maybe this was what I was cut out for… to be a hero. Me? A hero? That didn't sound right either… yet it did somehow.

"Hmm… I guess not." I responded. "Come on, let's get you warmed up…"

Cynder nodded and got up from the ground. As she was still shivering, I offered to wrap my wing around to keep her close so that she could warm up slightly which Cynder didn't seem to mind. I started to blush when her wings touched my side but thankfully Cynder didn't notice. No one has been close to me before that wasn't in a hug.

"You know, I never said thank you for helping me… the way you used those wind abilities was kind of badass." I quickly said to drive attention away from my blushing.

"Thanks…" Cynder said with a smile.

Cynder and I entered the cave, my wing still around wrapped her. I sat Cynder down close to the fire so that she could warm up and then I returned to skinning the sheep.

"Did you want something to eat?" I asked. "This sheep should be ready in a few minutes…"

"No thanks… I'm pretty tired." Cynder declined, rubbing her paws near the fire. "I think I'm going to get some sleep…"

I nodded, understanding her reason even though I was a tiny bit worried about the likelihood that Cynder probably hadn't eaten in awhile. "Well alright then… if you need me, I won't be too far away."

"You're going to stand guard all night?" Cynder wondered.

"Sure am... I'm not really tired anyway…" I replied. "You rest and keep yourself warm…"

"Mr Protective over here…" Cynder murmured as she started to curl herself into a ball again. "Goodnight, Spyro…"

I smirked at the nickname she gave me. "Night-night, Cynder…"

As Cynder fell asleep, I took a glimpse at her sleeping form… after all these years living in the Artisan Valley, I've finally found a friend. While she was the daughter of Malefor, that didn't really matter once I've got to know the real her.

Every minute I'm with her, I feel like I'll never be alone ever again...

**Whew, now that was a long one! It's almost the same length as the first chapter of A Tale to Tell… Maybe the next chapter could beat it? You never know...**

**So what's going to happen next? Well you'll just have to wait and find out! **

**Anyway, I'll be updating: This and A Tale to Tell. **

**Coming soon will be: Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street, A reboot to The Time Lord and the Wattersons and Convergence, which will serve as a reboot to the Civil War series. **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y!**_


	7. Under Pressure

**Welcome back! Last time, we saw Spyro and Cynder rescuing Volteer from Summer Forest. Cynder reveals that she's the daughter of Malefor, which causes Spyro to get angry at her. After rescuing Volteer and discovering their new elements, the duo reach Sunrise Spring where they have a brief falling out. After a conversation in the rain, Spyro and Cynder manage to reconcile with each other in time for the adventure ahead. **

**So enough recapping… let's get on the story, shall we? **

**(Chapter 7: Under Pressure) **

_The morning after… _

**(CYNDER's POV) **

_Where am I? _

_It looked like Sunrise Spring… but everything seemed dead. The trees were blackened and no leaves grew from them so now they were just husks. The grass was no longer green… in fact, there was no grass at all… just dirt. _

_What happened here? Everything was fine last night… a little stormy but still fine. _

_I wandered around the sudden barren wasteland, looking around in absolute horror. Everything was quiet… I couldn't even see any birds flying around. _

"_Spyro!?" I called out. _

_No response. Where was he? What happened to him? _

"_SPYRO!?" I shouted, hoping to get an answer. But still nothing. _

_Please don't let him be dead… please don't let him be dead… _

"_Anybody…?" I murmured. There had to be somebody! Some travellers walking by perhaps? No one could've just disappeared! _

"_No one's coming to save you this time, daughter…" Somebody grumbled from behind me. _

_My eyes widened and I froze. That voice… _

_No, it couldn't be… How does he even know where I am!? _

_I turned around slowly, hoping that my hunch was wrong. But sadly, I was right. My dad was standing behind me, sitting on his haunches as he looked down at me. _

"_Dad…?" I slowly backed away as he started to walk closer and closer towards me. _

"_What's the matter, daughter? Don't you look happy to see me?" _

"_What have you done to this place!?" I wondered angrily. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH SPYRO!?" _I growled.

_The Dark Master merely smirked. "Oh, you mean the purple dragon? Don't worry, he put up a good fight…" _

_Suddenly out of nowhere, Dad grabbed a bloodied body of a dragon and threw it to my feet. Through the many scars that was covering its body and the blood had drenched out it's purple scales, I immediately recognised who the dragon was. _

_It was Spyro. _

_I immediately cradled him in my paws to listen for a heartbeat or the slightest hint that he was breathing. Just something to prove that he was alright… _

_But nothing… I couldn't hear anything. _

_No… no… he couldn't be dead. He just couldn't… _

_I hugged him closer. "Wake up… please…" I pleaded softly. At this point, tears were starting to emerge… I never cry… why am I feeling like this? I just met Spyro, why did I care so much? _

_Maybe…? No… that couldn't be true. Could it? _

"_You see, daughter… this is what happens when you get too close to the enemy…" Dad muttered. "And now thanks to you, your little 'friend' is dead…" _

_Thanks to me…? I couldn't have killed him… He was my friend… _

_No! I couldn't have! Dad killed him, not me! _

_Then I looked at my claws and my eyes widened. My claws were now caked in blood… Spyro's blood. _

_I looked back to Spyro, there were claw marks all over his body then I looked back at my claws. No… this has to be a trick… I couldn't have… _

_I looked at my tail blade… it wasn't as covered in blood as my claws were but there was a thin layer of it on the bladed bit. I scanned Spyro's body to see where I could've slashed him but I couldn't see any hint of any slash marks… perhaps they were hidden amongst the claw marks? _

_Then I looked at Spyro's throat. A thin gash was spread across the width of his throat, blood slowly trickling down his neck. _

_No… _

_No… _

_What have I done? _

_The Dark Master smirked after seeing the damage I've caused. "No matter what… you'll always be Daddy's Terror of the Skies..." _

_Then everything started to disappear and turn black around me, leaving Spyro's corpse and I alone in the darkness. _

"_Spyro… I'm sorry…" I whimpered as I cried into his chest. "I'm so sorry…" _

_What have I done? How could I do this to him? He trusted me and how did I return the favour? I killed him… not even quickly, every claw mark looked deep, brutal… and full of anger. _

"_Cynder…" _

_I looked up and darted my head around. Who said that…? _

"_Cynder…" _

_Everything was getting darker and foggier. Who's in my head? Who was talking to me? _

_Before I could find out who, the darkness started to engulfed around me… I felt so empty, I couldn't see… _

_Spyro… I'm so sorry..._

**() **

"Cynder…"

My eyes shot open instantly. I found myself back in the cave, the sun trying to creep in. I looked outside to see that Sunrise Spring looked the same as it was yesterday… it didn't look dead or empty but alive and full of life. As it should be…

"Cynder, what's wrong? Is everything alright?" Spyro wondered worryingly as he stood over me. I couldn't believe it… Spyro was standing there. He wasn't dead and covered in claw marks… he was alive and well…

It was just a nightmare… Spyro was alright…

Without hesitation, I quickly got up and wrapped my arms around Spyro, a mix of happy and sad tears in my eyes. Spyro was surprised by this sudden gesture which I could tell from the way he darted his head from side-to-side.

"Hey, hey… everything's alright, I'm here…" Spyro assured as he slowly hugged me back, surprised at suddenly being given a hug. I'm surprised myself… since when I do hug anyone? I never give hugs.

"Oh, Spyro… thank ancestors you're okay!" I exclaimed, hugging him tighter.

"Of course I'm okay…" Spyro said in a confused tone. "Why wouldn't I be…?"

My eyes shot open once again. Of course, it was just a dream… Spyro had no idea what happened. To him, I got up and randomly hugged him. Should I tell him? Of course I should, he was in it… but on the other hand, he might get paranoid by the fear of my father… or me… killing him...

I slowly broke apart from our hug. "It was just a bad dream… that's all."

"Did you want to talk about it…?" Spyro wondered softly.

I thought about it for a moment then I shook my head slowly, the feeling of fear of killing Spyro still fresh in my system. "No… I can't… not right now."

Spyro nodded, trusting my judgment. "Ok… but if you change your mind, I'll be willing to listen…" He assured with a smile.

"Thank you..." I said before wrapping my paws around him again, surprising both me and Spyro for the second time this morning.

"Oh… this is nice… " Spyro muttered surprisingly. It sounded very quiet as if he was muttering it to himself.

Why was I so affectionate this morning? I'm many things but affectionate was not one of them. It was a dream, it wasn't real… I would never kill him. Yesterday I would, no doubt about that… but today? Something felt different… Something new, something I couldn't describe…

"Um… Cynder?" Spyro spoke up, snapping me away from my thought process. "You can let go now…"

My eyes widened, realising that I was hugging Spyro for a little _too _long. "Sorry…" I muttered as I immediately let go of Spyro, automatically turning my head away as my cheeks started to heat up. Well… since I was being affectionate, I might as well start blushing at the same time!

I looked back to Spyro, who had a slight hint of red in his cheeks since it was more faded… as if he started blushing before me. "So..." I murmured. "Are we going off to find the other Guardians today?" I wondered, quickly changing the subject.

"Well, I did say we can stay here for at least a few days." Spyro replied, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "Mostly because I want to practice my new abilities… I'm sure you would want to try out your wind breath, right?"

I nodded. It made sense that Spyro wanted to try out his new abilities… It would be stupid of him to just go out into the world and randomly blast everything in his path. You can't become a master overnight, my dad would say, it takes control and patience. That was one of the rare times where my father's teachings were actually useful…

Spyro then handed me a piece of meat. "Here, you could use something to eat…"

I cocked my head slightly at the meat. It looked crispy on the top, Spyro must've used his fire breath to cook it. But what could it be? I slowly approached the meat and sniffed it. "What is it?" I wondered.

"A fish… I found it in the creek nearby..." Spyro said in surprising tone as he looked at me like I was living under a rock or something. "Wait… don't you know what a fish is?" He asked.

I shook my head in response. Dad wasn't the most exotic cook out there, we would have sheep or deer… those were the only options. Well, those were the only animals that would be dumb enough to be close to where we lived.

"Is it nice…?" I questioned.

"Well… yeah..." Spyro answered as if no one had asked him that before. He slowly pulled the fish away as I showed no signs of taking it. "If you don't want it then I can…"

"No!" I quickly interjected, eyes widening. "I'll try it…"

Spyro handed me the fish, it felt warm and slimy in my paws. Ew… there are creatures who like this stuff? "Don't worry… it tastes better than it feels, especially when I've cooked it." Spyro assured, adding a cheeky grin when he mentioned that he cooked the fish.

I couldn't help but snicker. Who could resist that big, dumb grin? With Spyro's assurance, I took a bite from the fish and boy… was I in for a shock.

I couldn't describe the flavours that exploded in my mouth. It was salty and moist, everything just melted the second I started chewing it. The flavours made every part of my body feel relaxed and at ease. Who knew that Spyro was such a good cook!?

"Did you enjoy that?" Spyro questioned in a way that sounded like he already knew that I was going to like it.

"Totally…" I muttered, the tone of my voice sound slow and calm.

"Good..." Spyro chuckled. "I'll have to remember that for next time."

"Looking forward to it…" I said, the slightest hint of a smile forming from the corner of my mouth.

"Well, I'm going to go and practice my electricity breath…" Spyro said very suddenly. "You're welcome to join after you finish your fish… if you like..."

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute…"

As soon as Spyro left, I mentally face-palmed myself. What the hell is wrong with me!? Why was I acting like this? I was being very affectionate back there, something that I'm not known for… but when I'm with Spyro, he just brings that out in me.

Does that mean…? No. No, that wasn't the reason… was it?

Did my feelings in my nightmare match my real feelings? I haven't met any other dragon besides my dad… I don't even know if I'm capable of feeling that way!

Ok, ok… calm down, Cynder. You're just overreacting... Maybe it's just a side effect of being near Spyro, his friendliness is latching onto you. No, that doesn't sound right…

Spyro was just a friend… but why don't I feel happy about that?

As I continued to contemplate, something zoomed past my line of sight. It was quicker than I could blink my eye but it was enough to snap me out of my thoughts.

"Uh?" I walked to the edge of the cave and looked around. Nothing was there… but I could've sworn I saw something. "Spyro?" I called out. No response… figures.

But I saw something… at least I think I did. Ancestors, I'm going crazy.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts that plagued my mind. No, I'm not crazy. It was probably a deer or something… who knows what lives in this realm?

With that out of the way, I decided to head out of the cave to find Spyro. As I was heading into the forest, I thought I heard a twig snap so I quickly darted my head to find the source of the noise.

Still nothing. So why do I feel like I'm being watched? Like a pair of piercing yellow eyes are watching me in the bushes…

Keep it together, Cynder… it's just an animal. It's probably more afraid of you than you are of it.

After taking one more brief glance I headed further into the forest, hoping that Spyro wasn't too far away.

**() **

I eventually found Spyro and Sparx in the middle of a clearing nearby the cave. I could hear the sound of loud cracking, kind of like the thunderstorms I hear back home, and soon after loud cursing from Spyro. He must be having trouble controlling his electricity breath.

When I got to the clearing, Spyro was once again trying out his electricity element. Patches of the ground around him were black and smouldered which told me that his aim wasn't exactly on point.

Spyro shot another bolt of electricity out of his mouth, aiming his shot towards the tree opposite him. It got about halfway before the electricity diverted to the side and hitting the bush that was next to the tree, causing the leaves on the bush to crumble into dust.

"Shit!" He exclaimed angrily. Woah, I didn't expect him of all people to say that… even Sparx looked surprised.

"Everything okay over there?" I spoke up after Spyro had calmed down slightly. Spyro quickly darted his head in my direction, a surprised look on his face.

"Cynder!? I… uh…" Spyro stammered, his eyes moving quickly between me and the bush. "I totally meant to do that…" He nodded confidently.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I was just working on…" Spyro answered, looking up towards the sky to think of a possible excuse. "...diverting the electricity so I could sneak it around corners… Yeah, yeah, I'll go with that..." That last bit he muttered under his breath.

"You were aiming for the tree, weren't you?"

"What? Nooo…"

"Spyro…"

Spyro sighed, realising that that I could see right through his lies. "Okay… I was. I try to aim it but it doesn't listen to me, as you can see…" Spyro grumbled as he pointed towards the smouldering patches of grass that surrounded him.

Spyro sat on his haunches and sulked, lowering his head in defeat. He couldn't give up that easily… I want to help him but how could I? I don't have the same elements as Spyro…

Wait a minute… I don't but Dad does.

I tried to think back through the lessons that Dad put me through. There had to be something useful that Dad told through through all the scolding and anger.

I remember Dad teaching me about the elements and the mana that is used to power them up. Yes, he said something about a dragon having mana dedicated to each element.

Of course, that's it! Spyro's having trouble with his electricity breath because he's treating it like it was his fire element. That's why his electricity is going all over the place!

"I think I know what the problem is…" I said, Spyro looking up slightly. "I want you to try again…"

"Cynder… I can't."

"Yes, you can!" I encouraged. "Trust me, I have a plan."

The plan was risky but I had faith that Spyro will be able to master his electricity element. I made my way to the tree that Spyro was aiming at and stood directly in front of it.

"Okay, the problem seems to be that you're treating your electricity element as your fire element. Fire is not electricity… fire is a wildcard if not mastered correctly while electricity is fast, fluid and more direct. You just need something to focus all that energy…" I explained. "So I need you to shoot directly above me…"

Spyro's eyes widened. Somehow I knew he wasn't going to like that idea. "What!? Are you insane!? I don't want to hurt you…"

"You won't if you focus. It's all about control and patience." I calmly assured. "Trust me."

Spyro slowly nodded. "Control and patience… got it."

Spyro got into an attack position and closed his eyes, allowing the electricity to flow through him. The electricity started overwhelm his body, sparking in certain intervals. I hope this works, my life was literally on the line.

Suddenly Spyro opened his eyes, a yellowish colour rather than his usual purple. Just as he was about to open his mouth, I closed my eyes just in case… I didn't really want to see the beam of electricity shooting straight towards me.

I soon heard a sound like a thunder clap and felt a slight sting at the top of my head. Did it work? I didn't feel dead so maybe it did. Then again no one would feel dead after they die…

I opened one eye to see Spyro, a surprised look on his face. I was alive, that's a relief… I opened my other eye and quickly looked at the tree. A decently sized hole had burnt into the tree, directly above my head.

He did it! He actually did it! I never doubted him for a second.

"I… did it…" Spyro muttered, slightly out of breath.

I walked up to him and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "See? I knew you could do it."

"Thanks for the advice, Cynder. I appreciate it…" Spyro said while he rubbed his arm. "How did you figure out how to master electricity? You don't even have that ability… At least I don't think you do…"

"My father taught me about the elements when I was younger… one of the more useful things he's done over the years…" I admitted shamefully, lowering my head towards the ground. I was really hoping not to bring up my father in a conversation after what… especially with Spyro.

Spyro immediately regretted asking me that question. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that…" He muttered.

"Just forget it, Spyro. It's fine." I assured, looking back up towards him. "Are you going to try again?"

Spyro thought about it for a moment but eventually shook his head. "I think I got it now. Why don't you try out your wind element?"

My eyes widened. "Uh… I don't know Spyro…" I said nervously. After the nightmare I had this morning, I didn't want to put Spyro in any form of danger by accidentally shooting him with a gust of wind. Wind is deadlier than it sounds...

"Why not?" Spyro wondered in a concerned tone. "Do you not know how to breathe wind?"

"Uh… maybe..." I didn't want to admit it but I wasn't as skilled in my elements as Spyro was. Theoretically? Yes. Practically? No.

Yes, I know that I used my wind element to help Spyro in Summer Forest but that was in the heat of the moment. Spyro was in trouble so I had to help him…

"Why don't you try using your wind element again?" Spyro suggested. "So I can see what you're having trouble with…"

I rolled my eyes. "Fine…"

I attempted to build up the wind element inside of me, I felt the cool wind travelling up my throat. I opened my mouth and breathed out a tiny wisp of wind before I started to cough and sputter all over the place.

After my coughing fit, I sighed. "See? I suck at this…"

"No, No! You had it!" Spyro assured. "You were just breathing it out like it was your normal breath… It has to come from within."

Now why did that sound familiar?

"Cyril told me that you can draw strength from the elements around you in order to let it flow through. So you have to feel the wind in the air and draw strength from it…" Spyro lectured.

That wasn't such a bad idea… that might just work!

I closed my eyes and felt the wind building up once again, this time I concentrated a little bit harder than I usually do. The slightest hint of wind started to hit my face which only made my wind element stronger.

I opened my eyes to unleash my wind element only to discover that the area around me had become a barren wasteland once again… just like in my nightmare.

No… no. Not now.

I frantically looked around to see Spyro or even Sparx were nearby but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Spyro!?" I called out. No response… what's going on? Why is this happening to me!?

"_He can't help you, daughter… Not now… not ever." _

That voice… No, not again.

Suddenly a dark shadow appeared from the tree opposite me. It soon manifested itself to the form of my father, his piercing yellow eyes that I saw earlier looking down at me.

"Get out of my head!" I barked at the Dark Master.

"_Pathetic, absolutely pathetic… You had one chance to kill him and what did you do!? You hesitated! Have I taught you nothing, daughter!?" _Malefor growled, pacing around me.

"You don't understand! Spyro is not what you think he is!" I argued.

"_I don't understand!? Listen to yourself, Cynder… he's made you soft." _Malefor said before chuckling slightly. _"It's quite sad really!" _

"That's not true!"

"_Do you ever think he'll share the same feelings for you as you have for him?" _Malefor questioned. _"No! He won't! So as long as I am around, he won't even come near you!"_

"Shut up!"

"_Don't deny it, Cynder… There's a part of you that fears you'll get rejected by him again, just like in Summer Forest. No matter how much you change, deep down you'll always be the daughter of the Dark Master… Daddy's Little Terror of the Skies!" _

"I SAID… SHUT UP!"

I couldn't take it anymore, I've had enough of his lies! I lashed out and unleashed a huge gust of wind directly at my father. The Dark Master started to stumble from the massive force of the wind pushing against him towards a nearby tree. As soon as he collided with the tree, he immediately dissipated into a wisp of shadow.

And before you know it… I opened my eyes.

Sunrise Spring was no longer a barren wasteland, it had reverted back to how it normally looks like… bright, green and beautiful. But something felt wrong…

No, it's just your father getting to you… I had a hallucination, that's all…

But where did Spyro go?

I looked to Sparx, who was suddenly blue for some odd reason, and he looked at me with a fearful look in his eyes. He wasn't next to me like he was before…

Unless…

_No… _

I quickly darted towards the tree where I blasted my father away, hoping that my hunch was wrong. Please be wrong, please be wrong…

Then I saw him…

Oh ancestors, what have I done?

Spyro was in the same position that he was in my nightmare minus the blood. He was instead, covered with leaves from the tree above him. He was very still and motionless.

"Spyro!" I exclaimed, quickly racing towards him. Oh ancestors, please don't be dead…

I cradled him in my paws and tried to listen for a heartbeat or the slightest hint of his breath creeping out of his mouth, just like I did in my nightmare. Please… please be okay…

_Thump… _

_Thump… _

_Thump… _

Was that...? It was! His heart was still beating… He's alive! Spyro was okay!

Suddenly Spyro slowly opened his eyes and they immediately drifted in my direction. "Cyn…der?" he croaked, his paw reaching out for mine.

"Yeah, I'm here…" I responded as I slowly went to grab his paw only for Sparx to suddenly intercept my eye line and zapping my paw away from Spyro.

Sparx then proceeded to buzz angrily, waving his arms about in a frantic way. I had no idea what he was talking about but something tells me that I didn't want to know.

"Sparx, it's fine… it was an accident…" Spyro defended as he was trying to get himself back on his feet.

Sparx then turned himself towards Spyro and began to buzz angrily at him. He and Spyro began to argue but to me it sounded like a one-sided argument since I could understand Spyro.

"It wasn't directed at me! She was referring to someone else!" Spyro pointed out.

They could hear me arguing with my father like how I hear Spyro arguing with Sparx? They must've thought I was going crazy…

"Guys, stop it…" I tried to intervene.

The two stopped arguing and Sparx zoomed towards and began to buzz at me. It wasn't as angry or frantic as it was before. This time however he started prodding at my snout, making me step further away from Spyro. He then made a gesture that was basically telling me to shoo and go away.

My face fell. He had a right to do that. It was all my fault, I almost killed him…

"Sparx!" Spyro growled, looking angrily at the dragonfly.

Spyro tried to argue back but I lifted my paw to stop him talking.

"No need to argue, Spyro… I got the message…" I choked up, tears started to emerge.

Next thing I knew, I sprinted off in the opposite direction. They would be safer if I wasn't around.

"Cynder, wait!" I heard Spyro call out from the distance.

I couldn't go back, I didn't want to hurt him again…

This was all my fault…

**(SPYRO's POV) **

"Cynder, wait!" I called out.

But it was already too late, Cynder disappeared into the trees and out of view. Almost instantly, I angrily turned to Sparx.

"Oh, well done Sparx…" I growled. "Why did you have to go and say that?"

Sparx responded by rolling his eyes. He then muttered that Cynder couldn't understand him anyway, which made me more irritated. "Yeah, she can't understand you but she can understand body language…" I pointed out. "She was just seeing if I was alright and you shooed her away!"

Sparx then frowned and started buzzing angrily at me, pointing one of his arms in my direction and saying that Cynder tried to kill me.

"She didn't mean to! You saw how she acted before… it was just an accident!" I argued.

Sparx replied with an annoying "Or did she…?" Urgh… why doesn't he ever listen to me!?

I rubbed my eyes, I couldn't deal with this at the moment. "I don't have time for this, Sparx. I'm going to find Cynder... alone."

Leaving Sparx alone in the clearing, I wandered off in the same direction where Cynder had run off…

I just hope it wasn't too late…

**()**

I made my way through the forest, hoping to find any trace of Cynder. But it seems that she was nowhere to be seen, I couldn't even track her down by scent. I wasn't sure if she used her shadow element or I just suck at tracking overall.

I couldn't believe Sparx said those things to Cynder. I know Cynder couldn't understand him but his gestures made it so obvious that he wanted Cynder to stay firmly away from me.

What happened with her wind element wasn't her fault… she had no idea what was going on.

But what happened? One minute she was focusing in her element, the next minute she started to talk to herself.

Or maybe she wasn't talking to herself… Perhaps this whole incident had something to do with the bad dream she had this morning? I just don't know…

I eventually came across a small lake, the water being very calm as it shimmered in the sunlight. I saw Cynder on the edge of the lake, looking at her own reflection in the water. She was very quiet but I thought I could hear her whimpering, a soft whimpering so that no one could hear her.

I slowly approached her. She didn't seem to notice me. "Cynder?" I spoke up softly.

Cynder didn't respond. She quickly glanced at me from the corner of her eye so she knew that I was there… but she wasn't exactly happy to see me. She looked more guilty than anything.

"Are you alright?" I asked her but she still didn't respond. "Look, what happened back there wasn't your fault… and the incident with Sparx? He was just being a bit over-protective…" I clarified.

No response yet again. I took a deep breath and reached out for her paw, as she did with me before. However she quickly retracted her paw at the slightest touch, her feelings of guilt becoming more obvious through her facial expressions.

"Hey, it's okay…" I assured her. "You can talk to me…"

Cynder had the look that told me that she was thinking about but she ultimately decided to stay silent and continue to look at her reflection.

I looked down in sadness. I wanted to help her but she wasn't accepting it… there was nothing that I could do that wouldn't make Cynder feel even more guilty.

"Alright then…" I said disappointingly. "I can see that you want to be left alone… see you back at the cave." I started to walk off slowly, leaving Cynder with her thoughts.

"Do you think I'm evil?"

I stopped in my tracks and turned back to Cynder, who had turned to face me. "Uh?"

"Do you think I'm evil?" She repeated.

I blinked. Why would she think she was evil? True that she was the daughter of Malefor but judging from the time I've spent with her, she showed no signs of being evil.

"What? Of course not!" I answered, walking back towards Cynder. "Why would you think that?"

"It's just… what happened today and me being the daughter of Malefor… I thought..." Cynder started to ramble.

"Just because you're Malefor's daughter doesn't make you evil… you become what you are based on your actions. You chose to help me and you chose to turn your back towards everything you knew… that doesn't make you evil, that makes you good…" I said. Woah, never thought I was capable of saying something like that.

"But what if I hurt you again? What if I do something worse?"

"You can't base your life on what-ifs otherwise they'll become a reality. What happened before was an accident. See look at me, I'm fine…" I danced around for a bit to show that I was alright, which Cynder smirk a little. "Bit bruised but that was mainly because of the tree…"

Cynder's smirk faded away as she looked back at her reflection. She gazed upon her paws, I saw that they were slightly shaking. What could Cynder be hiding? Something about her dream perhaps?

"Hey, what happened today… Did that have something to do with your dream that you had this morning?" I wondered.

Cynder's eyes widened as if she thought that I had forgotten about it. "Um… maybe… what makes you say that?"

"Well, you were talking to yourself before you blasted me with your wind element randomly shouting 'get out of my head' or 'shut up' so I figured that it was connected to your dream…" I explained.

Cynder looked back towards the lake, a scared look on her face. "Oh… that."

What made her scared enough that she kept her dream hidden? What could possibly scare her? She's usually quite tough… seeing her in this state felt quite strange.

"So what happened in the dream?" I asked Cynder.

Again, Cynder was hesitant to answer. "Please tell me Cynder…" I insisted softly. "If you keep burying it in… what happened today will get worse."

Cynder thought about it for a few seconds before she spoke up. "Alright, alright… I'll tell you…" She sighed in defeat. "Okay… so I wake up in Sunrise Spring except everything look very dead. Sparx was gone, You were gone… it was just me. Then my father appeared…"

Cynder then took a deep breath and looked at me. I gave her a reassuring smile which urged her to carry on.

"He had… He had… a body…." Cynder continued, almost struggling to get the words.

My eyes widened. I could see why Cynder was pretty shaken this morning… if my dad had a random dead body, I'd be pretty traumatised too.

"Was it your parents?" I wondered, seeing that Cynder wasn't coping with recounting her dream. "Or perhaps someone you knew?"

Cynder's eyes widened when I asked that. So much for the parents theory… But I thought she didn't know anyone else. Gnasty Gnorc perhaps? No… no way… who would dream about that guy?

"It was you, Spyro…" Cynder revealed, looking back to me.

Me? I was the one that got killed? I sat there perplexed at what I heard. Cynder looked back at the lake, still visibly upset. But there was something about her that told me that one tiny crucial detail was missing.

I decided to once again tried to reach out for her paw in comfort, this time Cynder didn't quickly snatch her paw straight away. She only darted her head towards me, looking wide-eyed as her eyes started to well up.

"Hey, it's okay…" I assured with a smile. "No one, not even your dad, is going to get me… I won't let that happen…"

However this didn't seem to cheer her up… in fact, Cynder got even more upset.

"It wasn't my dad that killed you Spyro…" Cynder started to choke up, removing her paw from mine. "It was me… I killed you…"

Cynder then couldn't take it anymore, she started to burst into tears. She turned herself away so I couldn't see her crying. I couldn't do anything but stand there helpless.

She was crying because she killed me in her dream… That explained why she randomly hugged me after she woke up. She cared that much about me. Her only friend…

"I'm so, so sorry that I couldn't tell you…." Cynder whimpered. "I didn't want you to think of me as a… monster…"

Again, I was helpless. I never felt so helpless in my life. I would always help the Guardians if needed or if they were going through a rough patch. But with Cynder… I didn't know what to do…

I knew that I couldn't just stand there awkwardly while she was crying her eyes out. I had to do something…

So I did what I thought was the best thing I could do at the moment: I hugged her.

I started to wrap my wings around Cynder, who noticed this gesture and buried her head in my chest as I pulled her in close. As she rested on my chest, I rest my chin on the top of her head.

"I don't think you're a monster, Cynder…" I muttered in her ear. "I think you're amazing…"

As soon as I said that, Cynder looked at me with her widened eyes once again. I gave her a smile, slightly blushing. Did I go far with saying that? Did I say too much? "Really?" Cynder murmured. "You mean that?"

"Of course I do…" I answered softly.

Cynder smirked from the corner of her mouth before she rested on my shoulder, causing my blush to become more obvious. "Thank you…"

"Hehe… no problem…" I chuckled nervously.

We sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company. I started to heat up, my palms sweating with nervousness. No one has this been _this _close to me before… well the pink dragoness tried one time but that just felt so wrong for so many reasons. With Cynder, something just feels… right…

Did I…? Did I like her? Was I in love with her?

I couldn't be… I hardly know her…

But even if I did, I didn't even know if she liked me back… or even if she likes guys in that way… you never know. Well, she did hug me this morning… twice… but that wouldn't mean anything right? It was just a hug of friendship… right?

"You know what this forest reminds me of?" Cynder suddenly spoke up as she looked at the forest surrounding the lake.

I snapped back into reality and turned towards Cynder. "What?"

"The setting of the first Slasher Campmovie… you know when the thought-to-be-dead son of the killer suddenly attacks the final girl at the end."

I blinked in utter surprise… my hearing must be damaged from Cynder's wind element, did she literally just reference _Slasher Camp _just now?

"Did you just say Slasher Camp?" I questioned.

"Yeah…" Her eyes started to light up. "Have you seen it?"

I scoffed. "Seen it? I love it!"

Cynder released herself from our embrace and happily beamed at me, her tail slightly wagging. "No way!" She took a deep breath, recomposing herself. "Okay, okay… favourite kill?"

I smirked, automatically knowing the answer. "Oh, that's easy… definitely the counsellor that was impaled with an arrow from under the bed. You know the one where the special effects guy had to blow on a tube to get the blood out…"

Cynder nodded, respecting my answer. "Nice… but I honestly prefer the killer getting decipicated with her own machete!" She said as she made a swinging motion with her paws as if she were holding a machete. "Classic…"

A sudden thought appeared in my head. If Cynder's seen _Slasher Camp_… I wonder what else she's seen.

"Hey, what other horror movies do you like?" I wondered. "Do you like Screech?_" _

"Hell yeah, I have! That opening scene gets me everytime…" Cynder answered with an enthusiastic tone. "What about The Night He Came Home? Have you seen that?"

My eyes lit up. "Yes! That's one of my absolute favourites! Everything was just done so brilliantly, especially that score!"

"Hmm… I don't know." Cynder muttered. "I always thought A Nightmare at Dream Weavers was better…"

"Oh, I forgot about that one…" I said. "Isn't that the one where the killer has knives for fingers?"

Cynder nodded. "Yep, that's it."

"Didn't he say those incredibly cheesy one-liners?" I questioned, which Cynder replied with a nod. "What was one of them again?" I asked myself, stroking my chin.

"Ooh, ooh… It was… it was…"

"Welcome to my nightmare, bitch! Hahaha!" Cynder and I both exclaimed, lowering our voices to imitate the voice of the _A Nightmare at Dream Weavers_ killer. Once we started fake laughing, we eventually burst into actual laughter from our terrible impersonations. Man, Cynder looked so cute when she laughed…

"Oh, this is amazing! I've never met anyone who loves horror movies so much as me!" Cynder blurted out in excitement.

'Me either! The Guardians don't really like them… say they're a bad influence on me..."

"What? They're so missing out!"

"Yeah I know! You should see what kind of movies they like. Cyril likes period dramas, Volteer is a fan of comedy, Ignitus loves watching blockbusters which I quite enjoy as well and Terrador watches rom-coms but he doesn't want to admit it…" I said while naming off all of the Guardians with my paws.

Cynder scoffed. "Really? Rom-coms? Eugh..." she then grimaced, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

I chuckled at her response. "Tell me about it… You should've seen him the other day when we were watching Stone Notting Hill, tears galore..."

Cynder snickered before the two of us started to stare at each other's eyes, a small gap between us. You see it all the time in movies when the two main characters are just about to kiss.

Wait… Am I going to kiss Cynder? Because I don't think I'm ready for that… as I said before, I hardly know her. Sure I just found out that we share a love for horror movies but that doesn't I should kiss her.

I don't know what to do! What should I do!?

"Tag!" Cynder suddenly shouted out of the blue, playfully shoving me onto the ground before running into the forest.

Oh, well that solved that. I smirked and quickly got back on my feet to pursue her. "Hey! Get back here!"

"Ha, just try and catch me purple boy!" I hear her shout in a playful tone in the distance.

Purple boy? That's new… she would be the last creature to give nicknames. Actually, now thinking about it… she probably would.

Wait, was she _flirting _with me?

No… she couldn't be…

I soon found myself at the top of a small hill, Cynder was nowhere to be seen. I quickly looked around to see if there was any trace of her. Then I could've sworn I heard some shuffling around in the bushes. I squinted my eyes to see a dark shape bolting off in the opposite.

I rolled my eyes, I knew exactly who that was. "Cynder… I can see you, you know. Come out so I can tag you…" I smirked.

Cynder didn't respond. I swear that dark shape was her, she was using her shadow element… right?

"Cynder?" I called out, slightly worried.

Suddenly when I turned my head in a different direction, Cynder quickly appeared out of nowhere and pounced on me. "Surprise!"

What she didn't realise was that I was standing near the edge of the hill. So when Cynder pounced on me, I staggered and both Cynder and I fell off the edge of the hill. We both rolled down the hill, still connected together and having no plans to let go. Everything was a blur, all I could see was black and green.

Eventually we ran out of hill to roll on, Cynder and I came to a very sudden stop at the bottom of the hill. Both of us started to burst into laughter once again, failing to notice that we were incredibly close to one another.

Cynder lifted her head, the both of us still laughing. Then all of a sudden, the laugh slowly died out as we both realised how close we were.

Cynder was on top of me, her paws resting on my chest and our hind legs were wrapped around each other. Both of us stared at each other wide-eyed as we both started to blush like crazy.

She was so pretty, the way her scales shimmered in the sunlight, she had such a cute laugh… everything about her was just… perfect.

Ancestors, I just made this extremely awkward now…

Cynder quickly got off me, obviously embarrassed by what happened. "Oh my ancestors... I am so sorry…" She stuttered.

"Don't be, it's fine…" I muttered as I started to sit up.

"No it's not! I should've been aware…" Cynder started to ramble, getting extremely flustered.

"Cynder… It's alright…" I interjected, assuring her with a smile. Cynder took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "We should get back, Sparx doesn't like it when I'm away for too long..."

"Yeah, sure…" Cynder said. "Thank you for cheering me up…"

"That's what friends are for, right?" I said, laughing nervously afterwards. I should feel happy about saying that… so why do I feel slightly disappointed?

What happened next, I certainly wasn't expecting it. Out of nowhere, Cynder leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. My eyes widened and my blush deepened, surprised at Cynder's gesture. Everything just seemed to stop, like I could relive this moment forever and forever.

She kissed me…

She kissed me…

It was on the cheek but still… she kissed me.

"That was for… today… so, yeah." Cynder muttered, a tiny smile forming from the corner of her mouth.

"I.. uh… um…"

Cynder giggled as she started to head back to the cave. I remained where I was, still shocked about the sudden kiss on the cheek. I took a moment to look at Cynder once more, slightly tilting my head to… Ok, I'm just creepy now.

I quickly shook off any weird thoughts and slowly followed Cynder back to the cave.

**() **

The sun was just starting to set when Cynder and I returned to the cave, the sun shining in between the many gaps of trees and bushes. Cynder and I didn't say a word to each other on the way back since I was still processing the kiss on the cheek that Cynder gave me while Cynder was probably too embarrassed to talk about it.

When we got back to the cave, Sparx (who was back to his original colours) was flying back and forth as if he was pacing anxiously. Sparx turned to see that Cynder and I had returned and was immediately started buzzing with joy, darting around my eye-line as he was asking me where I was and lectured me about he was worried sick about me.

"Calm down, Sparx. Cynder and I were just talking and we lost track of time." I explained. I didn't want to mention the kiss on the cheek, especially with Cynder right next to me… plus Sparx will take the mickey out of me if I told him.

Sparx raised his eyebrow, as if he wasn't convinced. He then turned to Cynder and glared at her. Seriously? He was still mad at her?

"Sparx, I think you owe someone an apology…" I muttered, gesturing towards Cynder.

Sparx folded his arms and uttered out a short buzz that sounded like an half-assed apology, not even making eye contact with Cynder.

"He said he's sorry." I translated to Cynder.

Cynder then turned to Sparx. "I forgive you Sparx… I know that you were just looking out for Spyro." Cynder said.

Sparx didn't say anything, he only just nodded. I could see that Sparx had accepted Cynder's forgiveness but was still bitter about what she did to me.

"I'm going to head out and find us some dinner… any preferences?" Cynder wondered, heading off into the forest once again.

"Cynder, you've had a rough day today… maybe I should…" I persisted.

"I insist, Spyro…" Cynder interjected with a smile. "It's the least I can do…"

I chuckled. "Alright then… anything's okay with me, I don't mind."

"Anything coming up right…" Cynder quipped, smiling at me before heading into the forest to find food.

As soon as Cynder left, Sparx darted his eyes between me and the bushes where Cynder had headed into it as if he was trying to figure something out. His eyes then widened as he slowly turned back to me.

I noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong, Sparx?" I questioned.

Sparx blinked and gave me a questioning buzz as he began to wave his arm back and forth between me and the bushes. I instantly froze and started to blush, my palms beginning to sweat once again.

"Wh-what? I don't know what you're talking about!" I blurted out nervously. I was hoping that Sparx would ignore my nervousness but it doesn't seem to be the case.

Sparx's mouth fell open at the realisation that he was right. He then asked me in a shaky tone if I liked Cynder.

"No…" I turned my head around so that Sparx could read my emotions.

Sparx only responded with another eyebrow raise. I knew I wasn't going to get out of this one.

"Is it that obvious?" I questioned. Of course it was, you idiot. You literally froze up and starting sweating like you were in a sauna when Sparx noticed that something was up.

Sparx replied with a nod. I lowered my head. "So what if I do like her? She probably doesn't feel the same way…"

Sparx gave me a confused look as he looked back towards the bushes then muttered out a short buzz, claiming that Cynder was acting more friendlier than usual.

"Yeah so? That doesn't mean she likes me back…"

Sparx hovered to my snout and rested on his arms on it as he suggested that I should tell Cynder how I really feel. I immediately backed up, not liking the idea whatsoever.

"Are you insane!?" I shouted. "I just met her yesterday… She'll think I'm desperate or something!"

Sparx shaked his arms slowly to calm me down, buzzing on about love at first sight. I immediately rolled my eyes.

"That only works in the movies…" I murmured. Sparx then claimed that it was an actual thing, which somehow I doubt but then again Sparx hasn't been wrong before.

Sparx started to fly around my head, asking me, in an annoyed tone, what I was going to do if I wasn't going to tell Cynder how I felt.

"Well, I want to get to know her more since we won't get the chance while on the move…" I explained. It's a start at least, I didn't want to rush into anything.

"And I know exactly the place…"

**() **

As night fell and after Sparx fell asleep on guard duty, I woke up Cynder and the two of us snuck out of the cave and back to the clearing where Cynder and I had our awkward moment.

Earlier I had noticed that the clearing had such a good view of the sky so I figured it would be the perfect spot to do some stargazing. It would be the perfect opportunity to hang out with Cynder again, especially with what she's been through today.

"So, do you see that one up there? That's a dolphin…" I pointed towards the stars that were shaped like a dolphin. "See the tail…" I moved my finger so Cynder could see the shape of the tail.

"Yeah, I see it…" Cynder said before looking around the night sky until she saw something that caught her attention. "Ooh, this one looks like a dragon hunting a deer!" She started chuckling to herself. "I've never done this before…" She revealed in a happy tone.

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Well, I can't exactly see the sky where I live. It's always stormy…"

"Ignitus sometimes took me stargazing when I was younger. He told me that the stars told stories of great heroes of the past…"

"I would love to hear one…" Cynder shuffled closer to me, which made me blush since it looked like she was almost cuddling me. "You got any?" She wondered, looking up towards me.

"Yeah… see that one there?" I pointed above us. "That's supposed to be one of the Kings of Warfang… legend has it that his father was killed by his uncle when the king was just a hatchling. The king went into exile after blaming himself for his father's death and so he grew up with no responsibilities whatsoever. But he eventually had some sense knocked into him and he managed to overthrow his uncle…" I recounted.

"That's quite the story…" Cynder muttered softly.

I nodded. "Yeah, it's quite a popular story where I'm from. So popular that it got turned into a musical."

"Musical…?"

"It's like a movie but the characters sing in certain moments…"

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "Why would they do that?"

"Uh… I don't really know… for emotional stuff, I guess."

"Odd…" Cynder murmured as she turned back to the stars and frowned in confusion, as if she couldn't quite grasp onto the idea of characters randomly bursting into song. I couldn't quite figure that out either, musicals aren't really my cup of tea.

The two of us gazed at the stars in silence. I shuffled my paws nervously, this always happens whenever I'm having a conversation with someone. A great discussion followed by an awkward silence, making it seem that we were forced to talk to each other.

Come on, Spyro… ask her something. Anything!

"Hey, Spyro?" Cynder suddenly spoke up, turning back towards me.

Oh thank the ancestors, she beat me to it. I was really struggling to come up with a conversation starter that wasn't generic or pulled from a book. "Yeah?"

"What's it like to live in the Artisan Valley?" She wondered.

Damn, that was a good starter. "Uh… it's quite peaceful. Nothing really happens there…" I replied.

"Nothing?" Cynder frowned, not satisfied with my short answer. "Surely you must do _something_…"

"Well, Artisan dragons are quite laidback compared to the other realms." I explained further. "A normal day in the Valley would be waking up, go around the market for a bit then be back home before sundown. Not me though, I just chase sheep…"

Cynder smiled. "That sounds lovely…" Her smile slowly disappeared as she turned back towards the stars. "Better than where I lived…"

"What was your home like?" I asked softly. I was reluctant to ask that question, I didn't particularly want to know what life was like living with Malefor. I knew that Cynder didn't want to talk about it either.

Cynder sighed. "Cold, damp, creepy. For years, it would be just training, training and training… none of my elements worked. No matter how much I tried, my father was just never satisfied..."

"Did he… you know… hurt you?"

Cynder's eyes widened. "Oh no, nothing like that. He'll get mad but that was mainly it…" Oh that's a relief… "In fact, I hardly see him. He was always too busy to notice me…" She continued.

I frowned. What kind of father doesn't acknowledge his own daughter? True it was Malefor but still… there had to something deep down in Malefor that actually cared about Cynder otherwise she would've been dead already.

And what about Cynder? She obviously did care about her father since she wanted to kill me to impress him. So what changed her mind? Did she just had enough? I just don't know…

"Do you ever think you'll go back home?" I wondered.

"No." Cynder quickly replied, as if she was snapping at me. She took a deep breath and turned back towards the sky "I can't… he'll kill me."

I felt bad for Cynder. For years, I was living the dream back in the Artisan Valley and meanwhile Cynder was living in an unsafe place to the point where she is scared to go back. No one should feel afraid to go home… home should be the safest place in the world.

"But it doesn't matter now… I don't have to worry about him now. I'm finally free…" Cynder muttered, smiling at the night sky.

I couldn't help but smile too. If Cynder didn't run away then I wouldn't have met her and become her friend, being the only person that would actually acknowledge her when she entered the room.

But that got me thinking… What's going to happen after I finish rescuing the Guardians? Were Cynder and I going to part ways after my mission was complete? As much as I really wanted Cynder to come live in the Artisan Valley, the choice was ultimately up to her.

"Where do you think you're going to go?" I questioned. "You know, after we save the Guardians…"

Cynder didn't answer straight away, she thought about it for awhile. I began to instantly regret asking her before Cynder eventually spoke up. "I don't know actually… maybe travel the realms or stay here perhaps… I haven't thought that far yet."

"Well… why don't come back with me to the Valley?" I suggested.

"Back with you?"

"Yeah…" I nodded. "I mean… you don't have to, it's just a suggestion…"

Again, Cynder took a moment to think about my question. Maybe I was being a bit forward with the whole idea of living in the Artisan Valley… maybe I should've avoided using 'with me'... I just thought it was a good idea.

"I'll think about it…" Cynder said.

I smirked. "Great."

Suddenly Cynder let out a huge yawn and started to wriggle even closer to me, so close that her head was now resting on my chest, eyes shut tight. I started to blush even more, getting completely flustered for the second time today.

"S-Someone's tired…" I almost stuttered. "D-Did you want to go back to the cave?"

Cynder slowly shook her head and readjusted herself so that she was comfortable on my chest. "No… I like it here."

Despite the fact that I was sweating nervously due to Cynder being very close to me, I smiled yet again. As Cynder drifted off to sleep, I looked at her. She looked so peaceful, so happy, so beautiful. Something tells me that she won't have a bad dream tonight.

As my eyes began to droop, I can finally confirm what I've been doubting in my head for a while.

I was in love with Cynder.

**Goddamn, this was a long chapter to write! However it hasn't claimed the title of longest chapter that I've ever written (that goes to the first chapter of A Tale to Tell) **

**I've put in a lot of pop culture references in this chapter, can you identify any of them? Some might be easier than others… **

**Anyway, I'll be updating: This and A Tale to Tell. **

**Coming soon will be: Scooby-Doo: A Nightmare on Elm Street, A reboot to The Time Lord and the Wattersons and Convergence, which will serve as a reboot to the Civil War series. **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y!**_


	8. We Will Rock You

**Welcome back! Last time we saw Spyro and Cynder training their newly found elemental breaths until Cynder accidentally blasts Spyro with her wind element, imagining that she was blasting her father. Spyro and Cynder also learn that they've got something in common: a love for horror movies. Soon after, Spyro and Cynder began to bond by playing tag and stargazing. In the end, Spyro finally admits in the end that he's in love with Cynder. **

**So yeah, last chapter was basically romantic moments and pop culture references. Anyway, let's get back on track with the story, shall we? Enjoy! **

**(Chapter 8: We Will Rock You)**

_The sun rises over Sunrise Spring… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

Morning rose over the realm, a cool breeze hitting my scales. I slowly opened my eyes, the memories of yesterday still filling my mind. Cynder and I… watching the stars together…

Everything seemed perfect… a little _too_ perfect.

I slowly looked down to see Cynder, in the same position as last night… still snoozing away. It looked like she didn't have any bad dreams last night. Does she always look so cute when she's sleeping? It reminds me of how I first met her… you know, after she tried to kill me.

I silently sighed with relief. Thank the ancestors, it wasn't a dream…

As I stared at the clouds slowly moving across my eyeline, I started to think about the Guardians. Was Cyril and Terrador alright? Were they even alive? Ancestors, I hope so…

But what if they were dead? What if their corpses was wasting away somewhere in the Realms and I spent all of yesterday hanging out with Cynder…

No… that wasn't true. If Terrador and Cyril were dead then I would've surely heard about it by now…

My thought process was interrupted by the sound of buzzing heading towards the hill that Cynder and I were in. My eyes widened, automatically knowing where that buzzing is coming from.

Uh, oh.

Reluctantly I carefully removed myself from Cynder's embrace, slowly placing her head on the grass so that she doesn't wake up. Once I saw that Cynder wasn't going to wake up anytime soon, I quickly scrambled up the hill and headed towards the path that led to the cave. I was stopped in my tracks by Sparx, his arms folded and a scowl planted on his face.

"M-Morning Sparx!" I greeted, a tiny drop of sweat flowing down my face. "S-sleep well?" I was dead, so dead…

Sparx uttered a short buzz, asking what kept me.

"Sparx, I'm so sorry… We both fell asleep and I couldn't just…" I tried to apologise until Sparx raised one of his arms to shut me up.

Sparx buzzed at me, lecturing me that I was meant to be back at a reasonable time. I rolled my eyes when Sparx's back was turned. Why did he have to be so overprotective? I know he's supposed to be looking after me but he wasn't my parent… far from it. Besides, I didn't go far… it's not like I went to a completely different realm without him knowing about him.

"I couldn't help it if I fell asleep! I was only at the bottom of the hill anyway, no biggie." I argued. A sudden thought came into my head which made me smirk. "Wait… you're not jealous, are you?"

Sparx frowned and refused to look at me directly. Oh my ancestors, he was!

I chuckled slightly. "Oh Sparx, you do care…"

Sparx rubbed his eyes and buzzed questioningly at me, taking a more calmer tone. Well, it was more fed up than anything.

Sparx and I don't usually argue but when we do it's usually finishes abruptly. I would either walk off or he'll just call it quits. To this day, I don't know why he just gives up as he does… perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was my protector and he didn't want to ruin our friendship over a silly disagreement.

"I didn't get the chance to yet…" I answered, rubbing the back of my head. "I still want to get to know her a little bit more…"

Sparx rolled his eyes, advising me that I tell Cynder how I really felt sooner rather than later otherwise I might regret it. Even if Sparx wasn't exactly fond of my new found friendship with Cynder, he always wanted what was best for me.

"Now since I'm up, I'm going to find some breakfast." I started to head into the bushes before I turned back towards Sparx. "If Cynder wakes up, tell her I won't be long…" As Sparx answered with a nod, I turned back towards the bushes and headed out to find something to eat.

**() **

As I headed deeper into the forest, my mind has drifted far away from what was I going to hunt for breakfast but rather what Sparx had said.

Sparx was right, I should tell her now rather than later. But how exactly do I tell Cynder how I really feel? It's not as easy as it sounds…

What should I say? What should I do? I just don't know. The idea of romance just boggles my mind sometimes. It always has ever since I discovered that romance existed!

Ok, think, think, think… what should I say? Cynder, there's something I want to tell you… No, that doesn't feel right… Cynder, these past couple days have been the best days of my life… Nah, that doesn't feel right either. Urgh, why was this so hard to figure out? Just tell her you purple dolt! It's simple as that!

I took a deep sigh. It may sound simple… but in fact, it wasn't…

The idea of rejection kept flooding through my mind, no matter how I much I tried not to think about… it was always lingering at the back of my head like a bad memory.

What if she doesn't like me in that way?

What if she was already in a relationship? For all I know, Malefor could have her in an arranged marriage to some other black dragon named Nero or something… You never know.

Even if I am able to successfully get together with Cynder… how would her father react? I mean, I am his mortal enemy… he wants me dead. Cynder even wanted me dead before she got to know me!

If being friends with Cynder was risking my life enough (and it's a risk I'm willing to take…) then just imagine if Cynder and I started dating? The Dark Master would kill me on the spot with no hesitation whatsoever.

I took a few deep breaths as I started to panic, a mixture of fear from Malefor killing me and excitement from the idea of Cynder and I dating overwhelming me. Let's not get ahead of yourself, Spyro… you haven't even told the girl you liked her yet. One step at a time…

A slight rumble in my stomach snapped me back into reality. Oh, right… I was meant to be hunting…

I managed to stumble across a small creek that connected with the same lake that Cynder ran off when she accidentally blasted me. The sight of the creek gave me a sudden idea.

I like fish, Cynder likes fish. How about a fish for breakfast?

I bounded towards the edge of the creek, my snout almost touching the surface of the rushing water. I couldn't exactly use my tail spike for this kind of occasion since it couldn't really stab into anything. Trust me, I've tried…

I waited and I waited for something to swim past me. It couldn't just be any fish, it had to be the perfect one. Not too fat, not too thin but just right…

SNAP!

As a fish started to bolt past me, I quickly clamped it in my jaws at lightning speed and dropped it next to me. I made sure that the fish wasn't too close to the edge in case it wriggled back into the creek.

One down, one to go.

I managed to grab the second fish faster than I did with the other one. It came from the opposite direction which makes me think that they were from the same school of fish. Sucks to be that school…

When both of the fish eventually died, I grabbed them by the tail with my mouth and headed back towards the hill.

**() **

When I made back to the hill, Cynder was still sound asleep. She was obviously in a deep enough sleep that my unexpected absence didn't wake her. Good thing I got back as quickly as I could, I didn't want her to be all alone if she had another nightmare.

As I was about to wander down the hill, I hesitated. Why was I hesitating? It's just Cynder… she's not going to hurt you. Well, not now at least.

I then realised that the fish that was in my mouth was uncooked so I dropped onto the ground and laid them side-by-side. I blasted both fish with a wisp of my fire breath, it didn't take that much to cook the fish since the fire was hot enough. Once the fire dissipated, the sounds of the fish skin sizzling and the smell of cooked meat filled the air. As much as I enjoyed the smell, it couldn't take my mind of Cynder… nothing could at this point…

I liked her… I really, _really, _liked her. But I didn't want to mess up the level of friendship that Cynder and I have. I don't want to lose the only friend I've got that isn't Sparx...

My heart began to beat faster, I took a few deep breaths. Calm down Spyro, this isn't the end of the world… Just go down there and act normal…

With one final deep breath, I picked up the now cooked fish and carefully tread down the hill. Once I got down to the bottom of the hill, I quietly placed one of the fish next to Cynder. As I started to sit down, Cynder was starting to stir as her nostrils started to flare from taking in the smell of the fish.

My heart skipped a beat as Cynder started to move. Hearts can skip beats? Can hearts even do that? Ok, she's waking up… just act normal…

"Good morning..." I muttered as Cynder started to open her eyes, slightly squinting from the sudden appearance of sunlight.

"Morning…" Cynder mumbled, rubbing her eyes. My heart skipped a beat again, she looked so cute when she was rubbing her eyes like that. It reminded me of a young hatchling opening its eyes for the first time. Cynder then started to sniff around, not noticing the fish that was right next to her. "Ooh, something smells good… Did you make breakfast?" She wondered, her eyes lighting up.

I smirked. "Sure did... it's right next to you."

"Oh really? Thank the ancestors, I am starving!" Cynder darted her head to where the fish was placed, her eyes lighting up even more with complete surprise as she looked up towards me. Seriously, is that even possible for someone's eyes to light up more than they should? "Did you get me another fish?"

"Well... since you enjoyed it yesterday... I figured… I figured… um..." I tried to explain as I fiddled with the skin of my fish, the rest of my words struggling to get out of my mouth. Does this happen with everyone? Does everyone just forget how to talk when they're near the person they like?

I could see the faintest hint of a smile form on Cynder's lips. A slight feeling of panic shooting through my stomach as my palms started to sweat nervously. I didn't know if she was flattered or just trying to surpass a laugh from me acting like a complete fool in front of her.

Okay… note to self, come up with a legit excuse next time she asks you why you got a fish for her…

"Thank you Spyro, you're very sweet..." Cynder muttered, her smile becoming more obvious. I noticed that she almost hesitated just before she said 'sweet' as if she's never said that word before.

I grew silent and stared into her emerald-green eyes, my face heating up and my face quickly turning redder and redder at a fast pace. I quickly darted my head towards the snowy hills that overlooked the hill so I could attempt to hide my blush. At this point, I was failing so miserably.

She called me sweet… she actually said that. I was certainly not expecting that to come out of Cynder's mouth, especially not today. Well, look on the bright side… she could've said something much worse.

From my corner of my eye, I could see Cynder smirking mischievously. I could also hear hints of snickering that were being covered up. Uh oh… "Aww, is someone blushing?" She teased, making me blush even more.

I darted my head towards Cynder, obviously flustered by her teasing. "Wh-No!" I stuttered, my voice slightly cracking. "I-I-It's just… hot outside… t-that's all!"

Cynder rolled her eyes, that mischievous smile still plastered on her face. "Sure, whatever you say…" She muttered sarcastically, clearly not falling for my excuse.

I tried to think of another excuse but nothing seems to come to mind. If Cynder didn't fall for this one, she definitely won't fall for the next one.

"S-so… um… d-did you s-sleep well last night?" I quickly changed the subject, palms sweating even more now and my heart beating faster than usual. I know that changing the subject would make it even more obvious that I was embarrassed but what else could have I done?

Cynder rolled her eyes yet again, noticing how quick I changed the subject of the conversation. I was cautiously waiting for Cynder to tease me about this but something told me that she was going to let slide… for now.

Cynder then gazed towards the horizon, a serious look on her face. "Well enough..." Cynder replied grimly. Something was bothering her, I could tell. But I wasn't sure what she could be bothered about… she didn't have any nightmares as far as I know of. Perhaps the inevitability of facing her father again?

"You okay?" I wondered, noticing Cynder's change in tone.

Cynder turned back towards me, putting on a fake reassuring smile. "Yeah, of course… why wouldn't I be?"

I raised my eyebrow, I know that something is definitely bothering her. But why was she hiding it? Why wouldn't she tell me?

It wasn't about what happened yesterday was it? Ancestors, I hope not…

"Dunno… you seem a bit grim all of a sudden…" I answered, stuffing a little bit of fish into my mouth.

"I was just thinking, that's all..." Cynder said while also taking a bite from her fish. "So, what are our plans today?" She questioned, changing the subject once again. What was she so worried about? Why was she hiding it? Didn't she fully trust me yet? I'm getting more questions than answers at this point.

"I was thinking about that actually… maybe it's best that we head to High Caves sooner rather than later." I replied, putting my fish back on the grass. "Every passing second, Terrador and Cyril remain captured by Malefor's forces… I dread to think what could've happened to them."

Cynder lowered her head anxiously. "Me too…" She muttered. Woah, that's a change from a couple of days ago. Back then, she would've rather seen the Guardians dead than alive. Maybe Volteer convinced Cynder that they weren't as bad as she thought…

"Alright, I'm with you." She added with a more confident tone. I smiled, I knew I could count on her. "When are we leaving?"

"Well, I was thinking after we had breakfast… is that okay with you?"

Cynder nodded slowly as the same bothered look returned to her. Seriously, what is bothering her? "Yeah, it's okay…"

"But…?"

Cynder blinked in confusion. "But what?"

"Something's bothering you again…" I noticed as I walked closer towards Cynder. "What is it?" I wondered as I sat back down.

"It's nothing, Spyro…"

"Is it about leaving? Because we don't have to leave _right _now… I was just making a suggestion…"

"It's not that…" Cynder paused and took a deep breath before reluctantly continuing. "It's about my father, okay?"

"What about him?"

"He's there… at High Caves. When I last saw him, he was heading there to see Terrador…" Cynder answered in a nervous tone.

So that was what she was bothered about… that's a relief. I mean, a relief that Cynder wasn't being bothered by the stuff that happened yesterday. But the Dark Master being in the exact same place that Cynder and I were heading to was bad news… no, in fact it was worse.

"Cynder, it's been two days… he's not going to find you." I assured her. Why would Malefor hang around for that long? Unless he was interrograting Terrador with serious forms of torture, there would be no point for Malefor to stick around. Ancestors, I don't even want to think about that! "Even if he did know that you were missing, it wouldn't be easy to track you down. You could be literally anywhere in the Dragon Realms..."

"You don't know my father as well as I do!" Cynder exclaimed, a hint of fear in her voice. "He'll find me, he always finds a way…"

I got closer to Cynder and slowly draped my wing around her in comfort with Cynder responding by resting her head on my shoulder, making me blush once again. I felt bad for her, no one should be afraid of their own parents. Well, I don't think she was afraid of her father per say but rather what's going to happen to her if he does find her… Who knows?

"Hey, it's alright… I'm not going to let your father get you, I promise. If he's at High Caves then we'll try to avoid him as best as we can, okay?" I ensured.

Cynder shuffled around to make herself comfortable on my shoulder. "Okay…" She said with a slight smile.

We sat there in silence, looking over the horizon. The sun illuminated the back of the mountains from up above, creating a nice orange glow that made the mountains stand out even more. No clouds were formed in the sky, like someone had painted the sky blue and just forgot to add them in. Everything was quiet, everything was peaceful. You would think that with a Dark Master running around, the world would be dark and gloomy… but this doesn't seem to be the case.

I looked down at Cynder, who took a big sigh as she also watched over at the horizon, and smiled.

I wanted to tell her so badly… so badly that I could just spit it out. Every time I think about telling her, that idea of rejection keeps filling my head. The idea of Cynder seeing me as just a friend and nothing more, the idea of her heart being stolen from Nero… but that's only if Nero actually existed… Why do they keep bothering me? Why won't they stop?

They'll stop if I tell her… then I'll know for sure.

Come on, just tell her…

But what if she doesn't like me that way?

No… just tell her, you idiot. Otherwise you won't have closure if everything goes astray.

Ok... I can do this, I can do this. Just say "I like you", simple… but say "like, like" in case she misinterprets it as a platonic gesture.

I took a deep breath. I was ready, I was going to tell her! "Cynder… I..." I spoke up, the three little words itching to come out.

"Well, there's no time to lose. I'm going to get the portal ready…" Cynder unintentionally interjects, suddenly breaking free from our embrace.

I stood there, frozen in place. Uh… um… what just happened!? That's not what's supposed to happen… Why, world!? Why!?

Cynder smirked and gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder. "You coming, purple boy? Or are you just going to stand there?"

"Y-Yeah, just a second…" I muttered in sheer shock, completely taken aback. As Cynder was walking off, I quickly regained my composure and unfroze myself from the state that I was in. "But I just wanted to say…"

But it was too late. She was already gone.

I sighed and lowered my head in disappointment. "Nevermind… I'll tell you later…" I muttered to myself.

Sparx came into view out of nowhere and zipped right next to my ear and whispered "Smooth, Spyro… real smooth" teasingly. I turned to him and frowned, not amused by Sparx's teasing.

"Shut up Sparx, I'm getting there…" I murmured in a disappointing tone. "I almost said it, I was _this_ close!"

Sparx continued to buzz in my ear, pointing out that maybe it was a good thing that Cynder didn't hear me because of how poor the timing was. He did have a point there…

"But _when_ is it a good time?" I questioned, annoyed by Sparx's point.

Sparx lifted all of his arms in the air and widened his eyes, telling me that it shouldn't be just out of the blue and it had to be when the time is right. I frowned at this as it annoyed me even more.

"What do you _mean_ when the time is right!? How do I _know _when the time is right!?" I exclaimed a little too loudly than I intended, still very clearly annoyed by Sparx's what-I-call advice.

Sparx waved his front limbs in a frantic manner, gesturing me to calm down while also telling me that I'll somehow feel when the time is right. What does he know anyway? He's in the same boat as me when it comes to love.

"I still don't understand what you're trying to say, Sparx…" I said, still genuinely confused.

"Don't understand what?"

My eyes widened after realising whose voice it was, I quickly turned to see Cynder standing right behind me. "Cynder!? H-How long have you been standing there!?" I wondered, sounding more surprised than I should've been.

"Just for a couple of seconds…" Cynder answered, confused about my reaction. "I heard some shouting, is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, e-everything's fine!" I stuttered. What should I say? I can't say the truth otherwise who knows how Cynder will react! "Sparx and I were just talking, he's got some issues going on. Personal ones. Ones that shouldn't be shared in front of any other creatures… ever..." I answered with a nervous chuckle. Sparx crossed his front limbs angrily and muttered "_I'm _the one with issues?" quietly behind me.

Cynder raised her eyebrow. "Right…" She answered with a weirded-out tone. "Well, I just came to tell you that the portal's ready…"

I started to calm down slightly, knowing that Cynder wasn't suspicious of my behaviour. "Alright then. Come on, Sparx… let's go." I said. Sparx zoomed past me, still clearly pissed that I put the blame on him when Cynder appeared behind me. Cynder and I exchanged brief looks before heading up the hill.

"Is he okay?" Cynder wondered, noticing how angry Sparx was.

"Oh yeah, he'll be fine…" I assured her. "He'll be zooming around the place in no time..."

Cynder and I made it up the hill and headed back to the Portal, passing by the cave that we stayed in which still had the carcasses from the meals that we ate. Although now, it's now occupied by flies and other insects. You can thank the almost-rotting scraps of meat for that.

We eventually made it to the Portal, the swirling orangish-pink colours becoming all but familiar to me now. I saw Sparx already fly through it without any hesitation… someone was eager.

I was about to step through when I briefly looked behind me to see Cynder standing up, looking up at the portal. She tried to step a little further but hesitated and put her front paw back where it was originally.

I turned away from the Portal and walked towards Cynder, automatically knowing what was going on. She was still afraid… She wasn't ready to face her father yet.

"You sure you're okay with this?" I asked her.

Cynder nodded. "I'm alright… I can do this…"

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Just stay close to me, you'll be alright..."

Cynder smiled back, clearly touched by what I said. Cynder started to move towards the Portal, this time without any hesitation. She moved closer to me, so close that our wings were touching. I guess she was literally staying close to me. Not that I was complaining…

With that, Cynder and I headed into the Portal as we left behind the memories of everything that happened in Sunrise Spring. Both the good and the not so good...

**()**

Sunrise Spring had disappeared completely from view, the sight of the trees around me and the smell of fresh running water and the grass had completely been replaced with something else.

I'm never going to get used to seeing new worlds… How did the Dragons of Old manage to create all of this?

High Caves was completely different from the previous worlds I've been to. Summer Forest and Sunrise Spring were very warm and felt like a paradise whenever you strolled around. High Caves, however, wasn't like that at all.

First, it was very cold and the air was a tiny bit thinner than it should be. I could tell from the chilling feeling in my scales as the icy breeze went through them. Luckily, since I was a fire dragon this didn't bother me as much. We seemed to arrive in a grassy patch, one of a few grassy patches as far as I could see. A raised platform was located just near us, made of stone and had a few purple gems embedded inside it.

Stuck in the mountainsides that surrounded the world was yet another castle. Seriously is every world going to have a castle? What's up with dragons liking castles?

The castle was almost identical to the castles at Summer Forest and Sunrise Spring. It was made with sand-coloured stone and had plants growing out of every nook and cranny that I could see, most likely because the dragons abandoned it after Malefor's forces came along. But something that this castle had that the other castles didn't were the blue egg-shaped roofs at the end of each of the towers. All had a scale-like engraving on them, at least I think they were scales… the gold that surrounded the roofs were blocking my view.

What was curious was a cave that was behind me. Well they wouldn't have called this place 'High Caves' if they didn't have any caves, that would be stupid…

I tried to look to see what was in the cave but it was slightly difficult due to it being dark despite the sun shining very close to the entrance.

"It's quite nice up here… what do you think, Cynder?" I asked Cynder. There was no response, I quickly turned around to see that Cynder had disappeared. "Cynder!?"

"Over here, come check this out…" Cynder called over. I turned to see Cynder looking at some white roses that were growing out of the castle wall.

I headed over to where Cynder was, I was curious to know why the roses piqued her interest so much. Maybe she's never seen flowers before? Judging from the brief description of her life before she met me sounded like flowers weren't allowed to grow where she lived.

"Look, these flowers have little spikes on the stems but the ones over there don't…" Cynder observed, pointing at a few daffodils that were on the edge of the platform. "Isn't that odd?"

"Well, not really." I said. "All flowers are different, you see. These, for example, have thorns to protect themselves from getting eaten by animals." I explained.

Cynder kept examining the roses, even more intrigued by them. "Pretty and deadly… I like it."

"Yeah, kind of like you…" I muttered, unaware that I was saying it out loud rather than thinking about it.

Cynder slowly turned towards me and blushed slightly, taken aback from what I said. I was slightly confused as to why she was looking at me in that way. It took me a few seconds to realise what I said. When I eventually realised, I started to blush like crazy as I froze in place and my eyes widened with utter shock.

Oh no, I said it out loud. I was not meant to say it out loud. That was supposed to be in my head. Oh, what am I going to do!? What am I going to do!?

Cynder and I stared at each other for a few seconds, still surprised at what had just happened. Thank the ancestors it wasn't longer otherwise it'll be extremely awkward.

Then surprisingly, Cynder's look of surprise turned into a smirk. Why was she smirking at me like that? I know that doesn't end well...

"Aww, do you think I'm pretty Spyro?" She teased.

My blush deepended, I had no idea what to say. This was so embarrassing and Cynder wasn't making it any better. I feel the need to go and charge myself into a wall. "I… um… er…" Was I could manage to say.

Cynder chuckled at my response. "Relax, you goof… it's fine." She assured, putting her paw on my shoulder. "I think you're pretty too." She added, slightly blushing.

My eyes widened even more, my entire face going red at this point. So red that I kind of resembled Ignitus in a way.

She called me pretty… maybe she does like me after all? Or maybe she was just saying it to ease the tension? I couldn't quite figure it out…

"So, um… Shall we keep going? I think I saw some platforms that lead to another castle… maybe Terrador's there?" I quickly suggested, trying to take my mind off my embarrassment.

"Or… we could go in the cave, it might be a shortcut." Cynder also suggested. A suggestion that caused a slight hint of fear to creep into my system.

My eye slightly twitched. "C-Cave?"

Why was I afraid, you ask? It wasn't that I was afraid of the dark, it was something else… something else that could be lurking in the darkness. I noticed some cobwebs while I was looking through the cave, big ones… no ordinary creature could spin those cobwebs.

Cynder cocked her head to the side. "You're not scared are you?"

"Me, scared?" I scoffed, putting on a brave face. "No… absolutely not."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Come on…" Cynder urged, leading Sparx and I towards the cave.

Cynder bounded off ahead of me as I reluctantly trailed behind her. Why did we have to go through the cave? Why couldn't we just glide down to the other side of the mountains?

Ok, just relax Spyro… There's probably nothing in there. Maybe you're just overreacting… Ancestors, I hope so…

"I don't know, Cynder… maybe this isn't such a good idea…" I advised just as Cynder was about to enter the cave.

Cynder turned to me and rolled her eyes. "Come on, Spyro… There's nothing to be afraid of…"

As she was saying that, something emerged from the darkness from a thread of silk. As Cynder had her back turned away from the cave, a shape was able to drop down and approach her. From what I could see, the shape was huge. It was slightly taller than Cynder and I but if we stood on our hind legs then we'd be taller. It had eight long legs, all rough and jaggy looking as if they were made of rock. Two piercing yellow eyes gazed hungrily at Cynder, a predator watching its prey.

I stood there frozen, unable to move. "C-Cynder? L-Look behind you…"

Cynder frowned. "Very funny, Spyro but I'm not falling for that…" What!? She thinks I'm joking!? Why would I even _joke _about that!? Eventually Cynder did turn around and immediately, her eyes widened with fright as she caught sight of the mysterious creature in the darkness. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed, backing up slowly as the creature emerged from the cave.

The creature was revealed to be a spider of some kind. While it did have certain spider qualities to it, it also resembled a stag beetle in way… especially it's head.

As the spider lifted itself slightly to strike Cynder with its pincer, I couldn't help but scream in sheer fright. I stood there, completely paralysed with fear and completely helpless. As fear overwhelmed my mind, I was unaware that something was building up inside me, a new feeling…

The earth started to shake violently, a thunderous rumble roaring through the land. The sudden rumble caused Cynder and even the Spider to dart their heads all over the place, looking around to see what was going on.

The Spider started to look down at the ground as it shook more violently directly below him. It frantically turned from left to right, confused on what was happening.

Eventually a pillar of rock started to slowly rise from beneath the Spider, a green aura emanating from it.

Cynder slowly looked towards me, the fear from the Spider still on her face. Was I doing this? If so then how?

The pillar of rock soon increased its speed as it slammed the Spider at the top of the cave, its legs being spread out from being squished. As I took a deep breath, the pillar slowly to float back down as the green aura started to fade away.

The Spider looked worse for wear, it was almost completely flattened and its body was scuffed with dirt and small particles of rock. It was still alive… barely.

Its leg twitched slightly… The green aura reappeared.

It was still alive…

It was _still _alive…

The pillar of rock rose quickly and slammed the Spider once again, it was harder this time. So hard that more rocks started to fall on the ground from the impact.

Everything started to calm down once again, the earth stopped shaking and the pillar lowered itself to the ground. The Spider, however, was still and lifeless. It was dead, there's no going back from that.

"Woah, Spyro…" Cynder muttered. "Did you do that?"

Did I do that? Did I have the Earth element? I never imagined the Earth element being like that… whenever Terrador uses the Earth element, it's normally dispersed as green energy or what looks like green snot whenever he uses the Earth Flail move.

"I think so… yeah." I answered, sounding breathless. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine… it's you I'm worried about…" Cynder replied. "You were pretty brutal towards that spider back there…"

I rubbed the back of my head. "Well… you were in danger, I had to do something…" I half-lied. True, Cynder was in danger and I did save her… but that wasn't the real reason why I killed the spider.

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "You sure that was the real reason?"

I said nothing, eyes full of fear. She figured it out… I could tell. How did she do that? How could she read me like that?

She gave me a mischievous look. "Could it be? Is the legendary purple dragon scared of spiders?"

My eyes started to dart from side to side. "What? No… I wasn't scared, I was just trying to…" I lied, nerves kicking in. Quick, think of something. Don't say anything dumb. "... Surprise the spider by screaming at it…" Surprise the spider? Really, brain?

I mentally face-palmed, and I'm pretty sure Sparx did an actual face-palm behind me. Don't blame him of course, that did sound completely stupid.

Cynder smirked. "Yeah, sure… I believe you, Spyro." She snickered.

"I'm being serious!" I protested.

Cynder gave me an unconvinced look. "Keep telling yourself that, dragon boy..."

I rolled my eyes, unable to argue even further. "Come on, let's go the other way…" I grumbled as I turned to walk towards the castle.

Everything was quiet… _too _quiet. I couldn't tell if Cynder was behind me or not… what was she up to? No doubt trying to tease me again…

"Spyro, watch out! There's a spider behind you!" Cynder suddenly exclaimed, utter terror in her voice.

My eyes widened. "What?! Where!?" I stopped in my tracks and quickly looked around for any trace of the spider. I stopped looking when I heard a certain someone bursting into laughter behind me.

Huh, I guess my hunch was right…

"You should've… seen the… look on your face!" Cynder laughed, struggling to put a sentence together. "What!? Where!?" She mocked, imitating me by making her voice slightly deeper and recreating my shock expression before bursting into laughter again.

I frowned in annoyance. "Ha, ha… you're _so_ funny…" I said sarcastically.

I continued to walk off in the other direction towards the castle, still bitter about Cynder's teasing.

She's been teasing me all day… why is that? Sure, I was fine with it since she was being playful and didn't really mean it. But why did she have to go and make fun of my fear of spiders? I didn't make fun of her being afraid of facing her father again… why would I do that anyway? That'll be just cruel!

"Oh come on Spyro, I was just joking around!" I heard Cynder shout out as she ran to catch up with me.

"Well, it wasn't funny!" I unexpectedly snapped, turning towards Cynder. "What if it was your father that came out of that cave!? I don't think you'd be laughing then!" I snarled.

There was an immediate silence between the two of us. Cynder was taken aback about my sudden outburst, a shocked look on her face as she stepped back a couple of centimetres.

My mood slowly changed from anger to remorseful after seeing Cynder's reaction. Ancestors, what have I done?

I snapped at her…. Again... This time over a joke…. She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve that at all.

I sighed, calming down as I vented out any leftover feelings of anger. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that…" I apologised. "I just have a lot going on at the moment, just with Terrador and Cyril still being locked up and stuff. I didn't mean to take my frustrations out on you." I explained softly. That 'stuff' being my newfound crush on Cynder… she probably isn't interested in me now after I snapped at her.

"No, no… you're right. I shouldn't have made fun of your phobia, that was uncalled for." Cynder admitted, looking down sorrowfully. "I'm sorry…"

"It's alright…" I said, giving an assuring smile. "Come on, let's find Terrador."

Cynder replied with a nod before we made our way up one of the castle towers. Strange that this tower had a path spiralling upwards to the top. I heard stories from the visiting dragons that live in High Caves that were these wizards that would shoot tornados to knock unsuspecting dragons off the ledge. I wonder where those wizards have gone…

Once we reached the top of the tower, I looked off into the horizon to get my bearings but I couldn't see much due to how fog there was in the atmosphere. All I could see was two golden platforms that stood from gliding distance from each other and they were… moving?

I squinted my eyes to see who was moving the platforms. What I saw was these frail-looking humanoids with shaggy grey beards and crazy, wild eyes. They looked like wizards, especially with their green robes. They were also wearing leaves on their heads for some reason.

They were moving the platforms with some sort of green magic, kind of like my newly discovered Earth element except magic was coming out of their hands rather than their mouths. They do some weird dance move, the platform would move then stop for a couple of seconds then they'll do the same thing again.

That two second gap gave me an idea…

I turned to Cynder. "Okay, here's the plan. We glide over to the platforms then we knock the old guys off. That'll give us places to land in between…" I explained rather quickly. Who knew I was good at making plans? Must be all those movies and video games…

However Cynder didn't looked convinced. "Or… we could just fly around them. We are dragons after all…"

I raised my eyebrow. "Our wings are too small, we'll never make it…" I pointed out.

"True… but since the wind blowing this way…" Cynder explained, gesturing towards the now visible castle that had a huge gap between us. "That'll give us enough air time to make it…"

Woah, I didn't think about that… Cynder was quite clever whenever the opportunity arises… and she's pretty too. Don't know why I added that last bit…

But there was something in the back of my head that caused me to doubt Cynder's plan.

"I don't know, Cynder… it seems a bit risky."

"We'll be fine." Cynder assured me, looking into my eyes. "Do you trust me?"

"I do…" I stared back into her eyes, amazed by how they gleamed in the sunlight. It was so hard to not get lost in them. Eyes full of wonder and beauty… but behind them was a haunted past that she couldn't escape, even if she wanted to…

A coughing noise brought Cynder and I out of our staring contest. I turned to see Sparx folding his arms and frowning at the both of us. He let out a small grumbling buzz, asking whether we were done yet. Cynder and I both blushed.

"R-Right, sorry Sparx…" I said, a little bit flustered since Sparx noticed Cynder and I stared at each other. "Shall we?" I asked Cynder, turning to her.

"Y-yes, let's go…" Cynder said quickly, also flustered.

Cynder and I both jumped off the edge of the tower and started to flap our wings, heading towards the other castle across the gap. I wouldn't call myself an experienced flyer, mostly because the Artisan Valley didn't have any places to give myself a jumping start. However I was good at gliding…

While I was constantly flapping my wings to stay in the air, Cynder was flying very gracefully a couple of metres away. Her wings remained rigid as if she was gliding, only moving to keep Cynder from falling suddenly or to turn slightly. How did she do that? She was amazing!

When we got closer to the moving platforms, it got slightly tricky to maintain flight. Firstly the bearded guy coincidentally moved the platform directly towards me just as I was about to fly past. This sudden movement made me lose my focus, so much that I almost stopped flying altogether. But luckily I was able to regain my focus just in time to encounter the second platform.

To my utter surprise, I saw that Cynder was about to land onto the ledge nearby. Seriously!? How did she get there so quickly!?

I quickly picked up speed to reach the ledge. I knew that I wasn't going to make the ledge in the position that I was coming from. An idea struck me, I could reach the second platform… if my timing was right then I could use the platform to give myself something to jump off.

It was risky… the other bearded guy could move the platform just as I'm about to land or I could just miss the platform altogether.

It's now or never…

The bearded guy had moved the platform exactly where I wanted it to be. Before he could move the platform again, I quickly landed on the platform. I ran past, blasting him with my fire breath which caused him to fly off the platform to his death. I then jumped off the platform and spread my wings, heading straight for the ledge.

But I may have got a little too proud of my achievement and tucked in my wings a little bit early. I missed the ledge by an inch and started to fall, failing to grasp the ledge with my claws.

If I was on my own then I would've died… but thankfully I had Cynder with me.

I had my eyes closed since I didn't want to see myself die. Then suddenly I stopped moving, it felt like I was floating. I opened my eyes slowly to see that I was hanging off the ledge, I looked up to see that Cynder had grabbed both of my arms just as I was falling. She was also hanging off the side of the ledge, her tailblade dug deep inside the rock.

"Huh!? Cynder!?" I exclaimed, breathless. "You saved me!?"

"Of course I did! You think you were going to leave me alone with your insect!?" Cynder chuckled. "Sparx, pull us up!"

Sparx slowly pulled Cynder and I up towards the ledge. Wow, I had no idea that Sparx was this strong… where did all these sudden skills come from? First he could change colours then he zap creatures and now he's strong? That dragonfly never ceases to amaze me…

Once Sparx pulled Cynder onto the ledge, I grabbed onto the edge and let myself up. Once I was up, I turned to Cynder. "Thank you…" I muttered with a smile.

"No problem…" Cynder smiled back. "Now that makes us even." She added, referring to me saving her from the Spider. "By the way… your flying needs work." She said with a smirk as we started to walk into the castle.

"Ouch." I murmured sarcastically. She was right though… my flying sucked.

After walking through the castle, we came across another cliffside overlooking a mountain. The sun was out of sight, leaving the area a little dim and cold. Even the grass had a slight layer of snow on it. There was another cave entrance to the right which was just as dark as the other cave entrance, no doubt full of those big-ass spiders. But something else caught my eye...

It was a ramp embedded in the mountain above us. It was decorated with tiles with colours ranging from blue and maroon with a golden border. However some of the tiles were missing for some reason…

5 glowing green arrows were placed in the middle, pointing towards the mountain opposite us. Odd, the mountain looked solid… was the ramp leading us to our death? Or perhaps there was something hidden amongst the fog and rocks?

"Ooh, I love these!" I exclaimed, running towards the ramp.

"What is it?" Cynder wondered, examining at the length of the ramp.

"A Supercharge ramp!" I answered excitedly. Cynder gave me a confused look which urged me to continue. "It allows anyone who run across it to run faster or jump further distances. We used to have one back home but it got removed after someone got their head stuck in the wall after going around a corner too fast…" I explained. "I never got the chance to go on it but it looked so awesome seeing the other dragons use it!"

Cynder nodded in agreement. "That does sound pretty awesome…" She then looked towards the mountain. "But I wonder where it points to..."

I gave Cynder a cheeky grin, automatically knowing what I was going to do. "Why don't we find out?"

"Spyro, what are you…?"

Before Cynder could finish her sentence, I started to run down the ramp. I quickly gained speed as purple smoke started to build up around me. "GERONIMO!" I exclaimed before reaching the edge of the ramp. I had no idea why I said that, I heard it on TV once and I thought it sounded cool…

As soon as I reached the edge of the ramp, I jumped off. Thanks to the power of the Supercharge Ramp, I was able to gain a great amount of height. A height that no other dragon my age could achieve.

I closed my eyes, feeling the strong winds blow across my face. It left a chill on my scales due to how cold it was which I didn't seem to mind. I wanted to enjoy this brief window of freedom while I still can.

What I didn't expect was the short distance.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I immediately hit the side of the mountain and everything went black. Before I lost consciousness, I felt myself sliding down the mountain… I don't know where but it couldn't be anywhere nice and soft.

Then I heard Cynder crying out my name…

Oh, no… I left her behind... I left her all alone... I was supposed to protect her...

I haven't even told her how I felt…

**(CYNDER's POV) **

"Spyro!? SPYRO!?" I shouted out as Spyro disappeared from view.

No, no! He can't die… not like that.

Why did he do that anyway? Why did he jump off that ramp? He had no idea where that ramp lead, he just wanted to go on it for nostalgic reasons!

That's the second time he's acted reckless today. First he jumped onto the platform and missed the ledge and now he just decided to run off a ramp without checking if the mountain had a passage to jump into. As if he wasn't acting weird enough already…

I didn't even get the chance to tell him that- nevermind, it's not important right now… Seeing that Spyro was alive and well was all that mattered at the moment.

Please let him be okay… I _need_ him to be okay.

I frantically looked down the crevice, hoping for a sign that Spyro was okay. A hint of purple flying through the fog or perhaps climbing the mountain… anything to show that Spyro was alright.

"SPYRO!?" I shouted out again.

No response. Come on, Spyro… please be okay…

Then suddenly, something moved in the fog. A faint glow appeared out of nowhere, a glow that didn't look like it originated from Spyro but rather from something else.

But what could it be?

The fog started to ripple slightly, a shape was quickly emerging from underneath. A smile formed on my face as soon as I recognised those purples scales and golden horns. But that smile quickly faded when I saw who had rescued him. Small winged female humanoids wearing dresses carefully lifted Spyro up near the edge of the Supercharge ramp.

Fairies… it had to be fairies…

As the fairies dropped Spyro on the ground, I quickly raced towards him and wrapped my paws around him. Spyro was surprised by this but he eventually started to hug me back. I could see that one of the fairies was giving me a dirty look behind Spyro's back.

"Spyro! Thank the ancestors!" I exclaimed, my paws locked tight around his neck. I may have been glad to see him but I was still annoyed on what he did.

I separated myself from Spyro and punched him hard on the shoulder angrily.

"Ow, what was that for!?" Spyro barked, rubbing his arm.

"Spyro, what you did was so idiotic!" I scolded. "You could've died… again!"

"Ok, ok! I'm sorry! It won't happen again!"

"I know…" I sighed. I wanted to be mad at him but there was something about him that was pushing all the anger out of me… like he's bewitched me or something. Instinctively I pulled Spyro in for another hug. "I'm just glad you're okay…"

Urgh, what am I doing!? I should be hitting him, not hugging him! Now I'm the one who's acting weird…

"I am now… thanks to these fairies that popped out of nowhere…" Spyro said in a surprised tone. I don't know if he was more surprised that I hugged him after I shouted at him or that fairies came out of nowhere and saved him…

"Why were they down there anyway?" I questioned Spyro as he and I separated from our hug.

"It's our job to rescue any creatures that misuse the Supercharge Ramp…" A purple fairy spoke up, the same one that didn't look too happy seeing Spyro and I hug. "Normally we'd rescue some of the bigger dragons in the realm but we just couldn't resist saving a cute thing like you!" The purple fairy cooed as she flew closer to Spyro and scratched his chin affectionately.

Spyro found himself blushing from the sudden affectionate gesture but instinctively he lifted his head in response, his widened eyes beginning to relax.

I growled under my breath. Why was she doing that to him? He's not some stray pet desperate for love and attention...

"Um… Spyro, haven't we got somewhere to be?" I asked, trying so hard not to rip the fairy's wings off.

Spyro snapped out of his daze and backed away from the purple fairy. "R-Right…" Spyro said, acting very flustered. "Y-You have my t-thanks, girls…"

"Anytime." The purple fairy giggled as she went to cup his face with her tiny hands. She then rotated Spyro's head slightly and kissed him on the cheek.

I stood there, wide-eyed. Oh no she didn't! She did not just do that in front of me!

Spyro blushed even more as the purple fairy kissed him on the cheek, her other friends giggling amongst themselves. I frowned in disgust. What a bitch.

As the fairies flew away, Spyro saw my look of disgust and raised an eyebrow. "What's that look for?" He wondered.

"Nothing…" I grumbled, giving a death glare towards the fairy that kissed Spyro's cheek. "Let's just keep moving…"

I headed back towards the entrance to the castle, Spyro trailing behind. I thought I saw a cave just opposite the castle, it looked like it was connected to the mountain. So, hopefully, we could get inside the mountain and find out what's inside without recklessly jumping off a ramp at incredibly high speeds.

Soon enough, Spyro managed to catch up with me but he was still struggling to keep up. "Cynder, what are you doing? The mountain's this way..." He wondered, gesturing his head behind us.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm finding a safer way into the mountain!" I snapped.

Spyro frowned. "Calm down, I was just asking…"

"Why do I need to calm down? I'm perfectly calm already, thank you very much…" I said in a fake happy tone, hiding my true feelings from him.

Just as we got to the castle entrance Spyro ran in front of me and stood directly in my direction, his front paws in a confronting stance. "No, you're angry… what's wrong?" He asked calmly.

"Nothing's wrong." Besides from the fact that Spyro almost got killed again, the fact that fairy kissed him and he kind of enjoyed it or the fact that I was in love with him and I hate to see him get hurt.

Wait… did I just think that? Where did that come from?

Ok… so what if I have some sort of crush on Spyro? He's cute, sweet, kind and brave… I know I only met him a few days ago but somehow this felt right. It felt like fate was bringing us together… it may sound corny but it's true.

Besides, what if he didn't like me in that way? I mean, I was his only friend that wasn't Sparx or the Guardians… Maybe he wanted to keep it that way?

But he called me pretty… he must have _some _feelings for me, right?

No, no… I'm just overthinking things. Maybe he meant it in a platonic way… Besides who would fall in love with the daughter of Malefor anyway?

"Cynder what's going on?" Spyro spoke up, sounding concerned. "Please tell me…"

Should I tell him? Maybe he feels the same way?

No… I can't. It could potentially ruin our friendship, I don't want to lose him…

I took a glance at the cave just opposite of us, hoping to take my mind off Spyro for a little bit. I gazed upon the top of the slope where I saw something very familiar.

An Ape was standing guard nearby. He couldn't see us since his back was turned away from the slope. This Ape looked bigger, hairer and meaner than the other Apes that Spyro and I have encountered… but that didn't mean that it would be harder to take him down.

"Spyro… get down." I said very suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Get down… now!" I grabbed Spyro by the horns and dragged him back into the castle where we ducked behind the step so that we couldn't be seen by the Ape.

"Cynder, what are you-?"

I quickly placed my paw over his mouth to shut him up. "Shh… there's an ape just in front of us!" I hissed.

"Really? Where?" Spyro wondered, removing my paw from his mouth.

"In the cave, on the edge of the slope..." I answered, inconspicuously pointing towards the cave.

Spyro briefly popped his head over the step and after a few seconds, he ducked back down again. "Terrador can't be too far away then… we have to get in there."

"How?" I questioned. "We can't exactly just waltz in, who knows how many apes are in there?"

"We need to scout it out so there'll be no surprises once we get in…" Spyro said. "By how are we going to do that without getting caught?" He thought to himself, stroking his chin and slightly turning towards me.

I rolled my eyes. I didn't know if he completely forgot that I had the shadow element or if he was badly hinting that I go in. "Stay here. I'll be right back..." I muttered as I got up onto the step. It wasn't like I had a choice, Spyro could be seen from a mile away with those purple scales of his and Sparx glowed in the dark and makes a buzzing sound every time he moves.

"But-" Spyro tried to argue. Judging by his concerned tone, he wasn't putting two and two together quite yet.

"I'll be fine…" I interjected, turning back towards him. "Shadow dragoness, remember?"

Spyro sighed. "Okay but just… be careful…"

I smiled. "I will."

I darted away from the castle and activated my shadow form once I was out of view of the cave. I have gotten the hand of triggering my shadow element at will, I've been practicing when I was hunting for food for Spyro and I yesterday. Emotional triggers still need work though…

Once I triggered my shadow element, I glided over to the cave and stealthily slipped past the Ape who was standing guard. Dumbass was too busy staring at a bug he found in his fur anyway…

It wasn't long before I found where the rest of the Apes were. I came across a small area inside the mountain. Well, it was more like a corridor in a way… the only source of light was a big hole in the side of the mountain. I'm guessing that's where the Supercharge Ramp lead to…

Wait, do the Apes know that we are here?

Oh, who am I kidding? Of course they do, you would have to tone deaf not to hear Spyro shouting "Geronimo!" at the top of his lungs. Then again, I could be wrong…

The rest of the Apes, about 3 or 4, were sound asleep. They were all separated from each other, their weapons were neatly leaning against the walls. A couple of overweight Gnorcs were wide awake, sitting on the ground playing rock, paper, scissors. Better for them to be distracted than to be on high alert…

In a small section of the cave that was attached to the corridor, there was a cage which was identical to the one that Volteer was locked up in… simple and metal. Inside the cage contained a dragon, a green dragon with a brown underbelly, rock-like frills and fins, horns that were shaped like a ram's and a spiky ball of rock on his tail.

Oh yeah, he definitely _looked _like a Terrador. Strong, tough… clearly has seen some shit in his youth.

But what happened to him?

Claw marks, bruises and stab wounds were present throughout his body. Not old scars from some war that happened ages ago but fresh ones, all caked in dried blood. I thought he was dead until I saw him breathing, it was slow and erratic but at least he was alive.

I was horrified, utterly horrified. There was just… so much blood… who could've done this to him? What kind of monster would be capable of such damage?

This wasn't the work of a Gnorc or an Ape… not even a Grublin. No, only a dragon could achieve such brutality…

This was the work of the Dark Master… my father.

So this was the result of his interrogation!? I thought the Dark Master would just talk some sense into him, maybe giving him the odd black eye or two but I certainly wasn't expecting this. I knew my father was dark… but not _this _dark.

Just a few days, I wouldn't believe that my father would do this… but now I do. Ancestors, I couldn't believe that I _wanted_ to watch this happen! Who would cope with watching that!?

"I'm so sorry, Terrador…" I whispered tearfully before returning to Spyro and Sparx.

**()**

I slowly returned to the castle where Spyro and Sparx were hiding, still utterly horrified about what I saw. I just couldn't get it out of my head, it was like an embarrassing moment… except it wasn't embarrassing.

I found Spyro peeking his head over the step, checking to see if I was coming back or if the Ape had moved from his post. If the Ape wasn't stupid then he would've definitely seen Spyro from his post.

Once I got closer to the castle and I was out of the Ape's view, I reverted from my shadow form and headed towards Spyro. He noticed that my eyes were slightly teary-eyed but he decided not to bring it up. Good, I didn't want to talk about it… but something tells me I might have to.

"What have we got?" Spyro questioned.

"Just a few apes plus a couple of Gnorcs… we can take them." I muttered, rubbing my eyes discreetly.

"Is Terrador there?"

Of course he would ask me that… but what do I tell him? Do I tell him the truth? Or should I lie and say that he was alright but injured?

No… I need to be honest with him. I couldn't lie to him… not again.

"Yes but…" I answered before hesitating. I couldn't say it… I just couldn't…

Spyro gave me a concerned look. "But what?"

I sighed and looked down sadly. I guess there's no going back now. "He's in a bad shape… he's alive but barely..."

I couldn't tell what Spyro was feeling, he wasn't making it clear. His face was a mix of surprise, sadness, guilt and anger. I couldn't tell what emotion dominated the rest but I knew that he wasn't happy.

"Come on, we have no time to lose." Spyro said with determination before he raced off into the cave. Sparx and I exchanged looks before chasing after him. I guess we were taking the direct approach… Not that I'm complaining.

I managed to catch up with Spyro just as he landed in the cave. We both ran up the slope side-by-side which somehow caught the attention of the Ape standing guard. The Ape had no time to react since Spyro used his electricity breath to instantly kill him by blasting a stream of electricity through his heart, causing the Ape to roll the slope before plunging down to the rocky ground below.

I'm guessing that the other Apes and the two Gnorcs heard the commotion since they were wide awake and had their weapons pointed at us once we got to where Terrador was being held.

"Take the Gnorcs! I'll deal with the Apes…" I ordered. After all, Spyro had the better elements to take on the Gnorcs than I did.

Spyro nodded and headed off to fight the Gnorcs. Ape started to surrounded me, spears pointing directly at me. I wasn't so sure if they recognised me or not… like it matters anyway.

The Apes were the first to attack, the one to my left tried to smack me with the spear but I dodged it and tried to lunge at him. The Ape saw this coming and blocked it by putting the handle of the spear between us so I ended up biting the handle instead of the Ape. I thrashed my head, trying to get the spear away from the Ape but a second Ape came in from behind and backhanded me away from the first Ape.

While I was dazed on the ground, I saw that Spyro had somehow managed to kill one of the Gnorcs. The dead Gnorc was resting against the wall, face badly burnt by Spyro's fire element. I couldn't ask him for help since he was too occupied on evading the other Gnorc's massive hammer.

I quickly got up and blasted the second ape with my wind element, sending him hurtling towards the other side of the corridor. Unlike the last time I fought the Apes, the second Ape survived my wind attack, got straight back and began running towards me again. How are these Apes tougher than the last ones? It didn't make sense!

"Hold her down!" The second Ape barked.

Before I could react, two other Apes have pinned me to the ground. One Ape was using his feet to keep me still while the Ape next to him had his meaty hands clutching my jaws so that I couldn't bite them or use my elements.

"Cynder!" I heard Spyro shout out but I couldn't tell where he was since the Apes were blocking my view.

The second Ape walked up to me and put the tip of his spear on the side of my face. Any sudden movement could mean that I was going to get a scar, or worse get stabbed.

The second Ape turned to the first Ape. "Go tell the Dark Master that we found his daughter. Also notify him that the purple dragon's with her…"

Oh no, he's found out that I left. That can't be good….

No, I can't let him find me. I have to stop that Ape!

I thrashed around, trying to break free. But the Apes that were holding me down were stronger and heavier than they looked… no matter how much I tried, I could break free of their grasp.

I couldn't let him go free, not now… not ever!

I used my tailblade to stab the Ape who was holding my body down in the foot. Blood slowly started to leak out as the Ape howled in pain and released his hold on me, grasping his foot and jumping up and down on the other one. Once my body was free, I slashed at the other Ape's hands with my claws which caused him to release his hold on my jaws.

Once I was free I started to spin around frantically, a thin column of wind forming around me. I had no idea how I was doing this or even if it was going to work but I was glad that I thought of it.

The wind started to pull the Apes closer towards me. They tried to dig their claws into the ground to keep them steady however they were failing miserably. Once they got close to me, mini-tornados started to form around them as they started to float in the air slightly. They clutched their throats, suffocating from the lack of air that was being drained out from the mini-tornados.

Eventually the spinning stopped, the wind started to die down and the area around me became much more clearer. The Apes floated for a brief second before collapsing on the ground, dead.

Spyro raced towards me, wide-eyed. "Cynder! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit dizzy…" I replied, blinking a few times and shaking my head.

"That was so awesome!" Spyro exclaimed. "How did you do that?"

I struggled with that answer. How did I do that? I never fully trained with my wind element, the best I could do was breath it out… even then I hadn't quite got the hand of that either.

Before I could answer him, Spyro had slowly started to walk towards Terrador. There was a horrified and guilty look on his face as he held on to one of the metal bars.

"Sparx, get some Healing Gems! Now!" Spyro shouted as he turned towards Sparx, panic and worry overwhelming him.

Sparx nodded and started to buzz around all over the place, hastily trying to find some Gems. While he was doing that, I approached Spyro… there was a slight tear forming from the corner of his eye.

"I'm so sorry, Terrador… I should've come sooner." He muttered, his head lowering in gulit.

I reached out for his paw in comfort, which Spyro eagerly accepted. It was the least I could for him right now. "Hey, he's going to be alright…" I ensured. "A few Healing Gems should get him back on his feet in no time…"

"But what if it doesn't?"

"It will…" I assured him. "Trust me…"

Spyro then turned to me. "Did you know?" He wondered softly, a calm yet broken tone to his voice.

I shook my head slowly. "No, I swear." I answered. "I only knew that my father was planning on interrogating him before I left but I didn't expect him to go this far…"

Sparx appeared next to Spyro and placed down four white Gems, all round and evenly cut. Where did he even get those? I didn't see any Gems while I was scouting out the place before.

Spyro started to smash the Gems individually, the essence inside of them immediately flowing into Terrador like he was some sort of magnet. Blood started to disappear and the scars began to heal however there was still remnants on his body.

At first nothing happened, Terrador was still motionless with his eyes firmly closed. I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not… but he couldn't be dead, Spyro just healed him.

Everyone was silent, a sense of uncertainty in the air as we waited for something to happen. Come on, wake up…

Then suddenly, there was movement. Terrador started to slowly get up, coughing up a bit of blood. He was alive, I knew it! I wanted to say I told you so to Spyro but this didn't seem like a good time to do so.

"Terrador! You're alive!" Spyro said happily, gripping the bars tightly.

Terrador shook his head and blinked a couple of times, as if he imagining seeing Spyro right in front of him. "Huh? Spyro?" He muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you, of course…" Spyro answered, letting go of the bars and getting into an attack pose. "Stand back, I'm going to blast the lock!"

Spyro opened his mouth and a small ball of fire emerged from it, effectively hitting the lock. Once the smoke cleared, the lock had been completely blown off from the metal door. The door slowly opened with a loud creak and Terrador was able to walk out of the cage, slightly limping from his back leg. Where did Spyro learn how to do a ball of fire? So far I've only seen him do a simple jet of fire…

"Thank you, young dragon…" Terrador grumbled.

"Terrador, what happened to you?" Spyro wondered.

"I wish I knew, Spyro… one minute, I was in the Valley then the next minute I was locked up…" Terrador answered, sitting on his haunches.

"What about my fath-I mean, Malefor? What did he want from you?" I chimed in. I had a mini heart attack, I almost slipped out the fact that Malefor was my father… I wasn't used to calling him by his first name unless it was in my head. Since my father almost killed Terrador, I didn't think it was a good idea to mention it.

Terrador gave me an uncertain look, as if he finally realised that I existed. He then looked towards Spyro for an explanation.

"Oh right… Terrador, this is Cynder." Spyro introduced, gesturing to me then turning back towards Terrador. "We met in Summer Forest… She's been helping me out."

I waved awkwardly. "Hi..." Urgh, what was that? I shouldn't be intimidated… This is the dragon that watches rom-coms, remember?

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cynder." Terrador said, slightly bowing his head. "To answer your question before, Malefor wanted me for information. Information about you, Spyro…" He then answered, turning to Spyro.

"What kind of information?"

"Mainly information regarding your whereabouts… Malefor didn't seem to like any of the answers I told him. He would've killed me if a Gnorc didn't tell him that his daughter went missing." Terrador answered.

My eyes widened as Spyro and I slowly exchanged looks. He knows I'm missing, that wasn't good to hear… If he does find me, who knows what he'll do! It'll be even worse once he finds out I've become friends with the very dragon he despises.

Terrador smirked. "So I believe I owe you some gratitude, Cynder…"

I blinked in confusion. Wait a minute… Does he…? No, he couldn't have known… but if he did, how?

"How did you-?"

"I overheard the Ape giving out orders while you were fighting them…" Terrador explained before I could finish. "But I passed out before I heard anything else…"

Spyro immediately stood in between Terrador and I, his wings slightly flared out. "She's not like him, Terrador! She's different!" He defended. I couldn't help but blush… No one's really stood up for me before. It felt… nice.

"I know, Spyro. You don't have to explain…" Terrador said, waving his paw to calm Spyro down.

"Oh… right. Sorry..." Spyro muttered, slowly retracting his wings.

"It's alright." Terrador said before looking at the dead Gnorcs and Apes around him. "We should go before more come back…" He then advised.

Spyro and I nodded in agreement and started to follow Terrador out of the cave. Terrador took a couple of steps before he grunted in pain.

Spyro quickly raced to his side. "Hey, take it easy. You're still recovering…"

Terrador chuckled through his pain. "Young dragon, I've fought in many wars… I can assure you that I've been through worse."

Really? What could be worse than almost getting killed by my father?

**() **

We finally made it back to the Portal just as the sun was going down. We travelled through the cave that the Spider was living in since Terrador couldn't fly. I thought there would be more Spiders in the cave but as we were walking through, I didn't seem to spot any. Either it was just that one Spider or they all scurried back after seeing Spyro kill one with his Earth element.

On the way, Spyro and Terrador were discussing Spyro's newly discovered Earth element in a similar way to how Volteer was talking to him about his Electricity element. I stayed quiet, choosing to stay out of the conversation. I didn't have any of Spyro's elements… so why should the Earth element concern me?

Instead I was thinking about something else… my father.

The Dark Master has been in my thoughts all day ever since I had that hallucination yesterday. I was really hoping that he would just forget about me but I was scared at the same time. What if he found out I left? How would he react? Would he even care? What's going to happen to me once he finds me? All those questions plagued my mind like a sickness… they wouldn't go away.

But now that my suspicions were correct… I wasn't just fearing for my life, I was fearing for Spyro's…

I couldn't just leave him… but I would put him in more danger if I stayed otherwise my father will be killing two birds with one stone.

I didn't know what to do… My head's telling me to leave but my heart was telling me to stay. The same heart that saw Spyro as more than a friend…

"Cynder, you okay?" Spyro wondered.

I snapped away from my thoughts. "Yeah… just thinking, that's all…" I replied.

Before Spyro could ask me why, we had reached the Portal. Spyro walked over to the control panel and entered in the code for the Artisan Valley. Once the portal started up and a variety of colours started to swirl out of nowhere, Spyro headed back to where Terrador and I were standing.

"I would like to say thank you again for saving for rescuing me. Both of you…" Terrador said with a smile.

"Can you make back to the Valley okay?" I asked.

Terrador nodded. "Yes, I should be fine." He then turned to Spyro. "Remember what I said, Spyro."

"I will… don't worry."

"Ignitus would be proud of you…"

Spyro smiled and looked down at the grass, a small tear coming from the corner of his eye. Terrador then gave us a happy glance before entering the Portal, the swirls disappearing into thin air.

Spyro stared at the Portal before going back to the control panel, typing in the code for our next destination. Those familiar swirl of colours quickly returned, this time radiating a light orange.

This is it… I had to make a choice. Stay with Spyro or leave…

"Are you with me?" Spyro wondered.

I stood there for a few seconds until I knew what I was going to do.

I walked towards the Portal. "Till the end…" I muttered.

We stepped into the Portal, leaving High Caves behind. Wherever we were going, I knew that we were heading towards the endgame now…

**Holy crap, this was an absolute challenge to write! I had no idea it would be **_**this **_**long! This has definitely surpassed the first chapter of A Tale to Tell as the longest chapter I've ever written! **

**Perhaps you should expect a shorter chapter next time… **

**Anyway, I'll be updating: This and A Tale to Tell. **

**Coming soon will be: Convergence (A Doctor Who/Scooby-Doo/Marvel crossover which will serve as a reboot to the Civil War series) and Eternal Darkness (My Avengers/Spyro crossover that I've talked about a few times). **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y!**_


	9. Bohemian Rhapsody

**Welcome back! Last time, Spyro and Cynder depart from Sunrise Spring and travel to High Caves where Spyro discovers his Earth element by killing a spider. Cynder also finds Terrador in a cage, on the point of death. After freeing Terrador and finding out that Malefor was aware of Cynder's disappearance, the duo head to the next world to find Cyril. **

**We're edging closer and closer to the end so bear with me guys. So with that, shall we continue on with the story? Enjoy! **

**(Chapter 9: Bohemian Rhapsody)**

_In a whole new world… _

**(CYNDER's POV) **

As High Caves disappeared behind us, a new world started to appear before my very eyes. As my retinas cleared up from the bright colours of the Portal, I began to look around the environment that the Portal dropped us in.

First off, it was hot… _really _hot. I don't know if it was my scales absorbing the heat or if it was normally like that. Looking around and judging by the name itself, we were in some sort of crater. Lava spewed from every open space, even filling up a pond-sized hole nearby. There was no water as far as I could see, the humid air drying it up before a drop could reach the surface.

The sky was full of ash and dust from the volcano that stood above most of the crater. Despite this, the grass was a healthy looking green and flowers were still able to bloom. I guess they were used to it…

There was evidence of creatures living here with an assortment of rock structures indicating stairs and a gate. But as with High Caves, everything was completely abandoned… no doubt my father scared them off.

Where did all the inhabitants go anyway? I know they weren't dead, otherwise I'd be seeing bodies right now. Dad wasn't exactly the type of dragon that would hide dead bodies…

"It's beautiful here…" I said with a smile. I truly meant that… for a place that's potentially dangerous, I felt more at ease as I gazed around the area. It was like I was home… just without that cold, damp and creepy feeling.

Spyro looked around briefly before looking towards me. "We should get a move on… Cyril can't be too far away."

"Thanks for ruining the moment…" I muttered, frowning in his direction. "But don't you think we should rest first?"

"There's no time… we have to keep moving!" Spyro answered, a hint of stress in his voice. I couldn't blame him, seeing one of your mentors being beaten up to the point of death can get anyone on edge.

I walked up to Spyro and placed my paw over his to comfort him. "Hey… don't worry, Cyril will be okay." I assured.

Spyro sighed. "I hope so..."

Spyro released his paw from underneath mine and started to walk towards the stairs that was right in front of him, Sparx flying all over the place. I trailed closely behind him but suddenly I stopped in my tracks… I could've sworn I heard something…

I frantically looked around the area around me, trying to locate the source of the noise. It wasn't a twig or a slight rockslide, it kind of sounded like… wings. Big, powerful wings…

I quickly shook my head. No… I'm just overthinking things. It was probably just the breeze…

"Cynder, you coming!?" I heard Spyro call out.

My eyes remained glued to the top of the crater. "Yeah… I'm coming." I responded with a cautious tone, slowly making my way towards Spyro.

Something was there, I know it. There was a sneaky suspicion lingering in the back of my head about what the noise was. That got me concerned…

Deep down, I wanted to be wrong…

**() **

We continued to travel through the crater. Besides from the occasional jump across lava falls or lava pits, it was a nice and peaceful walk. But it would've been nicer if I had Spyro to talk to…

Spyro had hardly said a word to me or Sparx since we started walking. He didn't even look at me, his head was kept firmly straight towards the path that we were on. He's never been like this before… well, at least around me.

He was worried, I could tell. But I wasn't sure if he was more worried about Cyril or my father…

As we continued to walk in silence, we came across a lava river that flowed directly towards another lava fall. The lava river was quite wide in comparison to some of the other rivers I've seen, wide enough that you couldn't jump across it in one go… in fact it would take three big leaps to make it across. The lava was like sludge, flowing slowly towards the edge of the crater and occasionally making big bubbles. An orange glow radiated from the lava and was reflected on the ground nearby, making it quite hot to stand on.

Spyro scanned the length of the lava river as he darted his head back and forth, unsure of what to do. "How are we going to cross this?" Spyro muttered questioningly.

I rolled my eyes. Typical Spyro, always missing the obvious… "Spyro, you know we can fly… right?" I said. "We'll cross this gap in no time…"

Spyro didn't seem convinced. "I dunno, Cynder…"

I scoffed. "Come on, what's the worst that could hap-?"

Just as I was about to finish what I was about to say, the ground started to shake slightly as a huge geyser of lava erupted out of nowhere. Spyro and I quickly darted out of the way of falling puddles of hot liquid magma, lighting some of the grass nearby on fire.

Spyro and I exchanged looks of utter shock. "That. That's the worst that can happen, Cynder." He deadpanned. "Looks like we have to find another way around…"

"Where?" I questioned. "The river goes on for miles, we might not have a choice…"

Again, Spyro didn't seem convinced…. But why? Yeah sure, it's lava but it shouldn't hurt us while we're flying over it. Unless another geyser erupts…

Perhaps it had something to do with how he almost died during our flight in High Caves? Maybe he was being cautious since no one would be able to save him if he falls in the lava? Surely he wasn't going to fall during a flight _twice_?

"It looks like there won't be another eruption for a while…" I observed, moving closer to the river. "If we go now then we could avoid the next one…"

Spyro didn't say anything but I could tell that he was thinking about, a hint of fear in his eyes. Seeing that something was wrong with him, I edged closer to Spyro.

"Look, I know you're scared…"

Spyro's eyes widened. "Scared? What makes you think that?"

"Well, you plummeted mid-air yesterday… I would be scared too if that happened to me." I shrugged.

"It's not just that…" Spyro muttered, slightly shaking his head.

"Then what?"

"You said it yourself before, I suck at flying…" Spyro replied, looking down sorrowfully. "But that's what happens when you live in a place that doesn't allow flying for 13 years…"

I couldn't help but feel sorry for him... he was scared. Not just because he was flying over lava but because he was worried that he'll suddenly fall out of the sky again.

I put my paw on top of his again, an idea forming in my head. "Tell you what… how about you fly in front of me?" I suggested. "Then I could keep an eye on you in case you fall."

Spyro turned towards me. "You don't have to do that, Cynder…"

"You're right… I don't." I said, giving him an assuring smile. "But I insist..."

Spyro smiled back at me, his confidence slowly building up. "Okay, let's do this…"

After he said that, Spyro started to flap his wings slowly as he started to float in the air, his paws dangling and barely touching the ground. He soon gained enough altitude to start flying across the lava river, Sparx reluctantly following closely beside him. As soon as Spyro began to cross the river, I flapped my wings and tailed him from behind. I kept a certain amount of distance so that I wouldn't distract him.

"You okay back there?" Spyro wondered, slightly turning his head around to face me.

"Don't worry about me, worry about yourself…" I answered calmly.

We drew closer to the other side of the lava river… so far, Spyro was doing remarkably well. There wasn't any hint that Spyro was going to fail at all. He was gliding gracefully through the humid atmosphere of this realm, occasionally flapping his wings to keep himself in the air.

I guess he didn't want to get rescued by me again… I mean as much as I would save that handsome face of his anyday, I would prefer if he didn't constantly put his life in danger.

As the other side of the river edged closer and closer, something appeared in the corner of my eye. I couldn't quite figure it out, there was something there but at the same time… it felt like there's nothing there. I shook my head and tried to ignore what was trying to appear in my eyeline.

"_Cynder…" _

No… it couldn't be…

I quickly darted my head toward the direction towards the voice, fear in my eyes. I knew that gravelly and heavily filtered voice anywhere…

But how!? How did my father find us so quickly!?

I looked down the river, seeing no trace of my father anywhere. But where did he go!? How did he get away that easily!? Surely he couldn't have gone that far… a big purple dragon, you couldn't miss him!

A thunderous rumble soon started to roar throughout the realm, the lava river started to ripple slightly from the strength of the noise. Despite being in the air, I could feel the ground shaking. This felt stronger than the last earthquake Spyro and I felt… and if it was stronger, that didn't bode well for us.

Was my father responsible for this? Was that why he was watching us? Why didn't he face us in person? He could've killed us easily either way…

"Cynder, look out!" Spyro exclaimed, having already landed on the other side of the lava river.

I snapped out of my thoughts and gave him a look of confusion before looking down towards the lava, realising what he meant. The lava started to bubble below me, a low grumble radiating from the pressure that was building up.

I tried to fly out of the way before anything could happen… but it was too late.

A geyser of lava erupted from below, pain seared through my system as molten hot magma spewed onto most parts of my body. I don't know where exactly… but there was enough pain to cause to hurtle down to the river below.

I closed my eyes just as I got closer to the surface of the lava river… there was nothing that could be done to save me now.

"CYNDER!"

**() **

As my eyes closed, a sudden burst of cold hit me like wind on an icy winter's night. It was an odd feeling since I felt like I was burning all over, especially in one of my legs…

Was this… death? If it was, shouldn't I be on fire or something? I mean, I did fall into the lava after all… Why did I feel cold all of a sudden?

I could also hear a faint voice crying out for something… or someone. It sounded familiar… but who could it be?

_"Cynder… wake up… please." _

Spyro?

My vision suddenly became blurry, two shapes looming over me. One was big and purple and the other was smaller and yellow but it kept moving around the place so much that I couldn't tell what it was.

I blinked a couple of times, my vision becoming much clearer and clearer until I could figure out who was standing over me.

As my vision fully cleared, Spyro's face immediately lit up with relief. "Cynder, are you alright!?" He asked, hints of both worry and concern in his voice.

My head started to throb as I sat upright. "Huh? What happened?" I questioned groggily, rubbing my eyes.

"You got caught up in a lava geyser and you nearly fell into the river." Spyro replied.

"Yeah I know that bit…" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "But how did you save me?" I clarified.

Spyro gestured back towards the river. "See for yourself…"

I looked at him, confused on what he was referring to. I then turned my head towards the edge of the lava river and saw something unexpected…

A clear-blue platform was resting on the river's edge. It was quite small, probably the same size as Spyro and I. The platform was looking thin judging by how transparent it was, so much that I could see the lava eating away at the platform… as if it was melting.

Only one explanation came to mind: Spyro had obtained the Ice Element… and just in the nick of time too.

I looked back at Spyro, eyes widened with surprise. "Yeah I know, surprised me too…" Spyro muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are you sure that you're alright, Cynder?" He then asked.

"Yeah… just a bit woozy from being unconscious, that's all." I answered.

Spyro had a guilty look on his face. "That may have been my fault actually…"

I blinked. His fault, how could've been his fault? He saved me. Besides, I was the one that talked him into flying over the river, so why was he blaming himself?

"Your fault?" I wondered. "You saved me…"

"But I also knocked you out…" Spyro pointed out, his head lowering in shame. "I only discovered my ice element just mere seconds before you hit the lava…"

"Don't blame yourself for what happened, Spyro. It's my fault really… I wasn't thinking clearly." I assured.

Spyro cocked his head slightly. "Why weren't you thinking clearly?"

I was hesitant to respond. Part of me didn't want me to tell Spyro about hearing my father's voice, save him from getting worried and getting himself into trouble. He'd be worried for Cyril as well, especially with what happened to Terrador.

But there's a part of me that wants to tell him. My father is after him too, so it would be a good idea to warn him, right?

"I thought I heard my Dad… but when I looked, I didn't see any trace of him anywhere." I replied calmly, trying not to show any signs of fear.

"Heard him?" Spyro questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What did he say?"

I shrugged. "Nothing important… just my name."

"And you sure you didn't see him?"

"I would've said it if I did…" I answered in a snarky tone.

Spyro frowned as he looked around the area, his narrowed eyes gazing between the length of the river. He had a cautious look on his face, as if he was ready to fight or flee if someone were to attack.

Eventually Spyro spoke up. "We should keep moving." He murmured calmly.

"Good idea." I said, starting to lift myself up.

As I was getting up, I suddenly winced in pain and collapsed back onto the ground. Ok, that's weird… How did I get injured? My left back leg was a bit swollen… but it didn't feel like it was broken, I just assumed that it was badly bruised. Maybe that was just because of my high pain tolerance from training with my father.

As soon as I collapsed on the ground, Spyro immediately rushed to my aid. "Hey, hey! Take it easy…" He exclaimed in a concerned tone.

I batted Spyro away with my paw as I failed to get up again. "It's nothing… I'm fine…"

"No, you're not fine… you're injured." Spyro said sternly, furrowing his brow. "Now where does it hurt?"

"Spyro, I can handle it..." Urgh, come on Cynder… just let him help you. You're injured, this is no time to be stubborn!

"Where does it hurt?" He repeated, his tone becoming more serious.

I sighed. Damn that heroic will of his. "My left leg… I think it's broken." I grumbled.

"Ok, ok… let me try something…" Spyro said, examining my left leg before turning to Sparx. "Sparx, could you get some Healing Gems? I think I saw some by the river..." He asked the dragonfly.

Sparx nodded and flew away towards the river to find some Healing Gems. As soon as Sparx was out of view, Spyro then turned back to my leg.

"Alright, Cynder… just hold still." He advised as he got into a battle-like stance.

I raised my eyebrow, curious to know what Spyro was doing. "Why?"

Before I could think of any possible reasons, Spyro suddenly blasted a stream of ice onto my broken leg. My eyes widened and I immediately yelped in pain as an extreme cold feeling ran through my leg. It got so cold that I almost completely forgot that my leg was broken then I remembered why my leg was frozen in the first place…

"Motherfu-!" I exclaimed, the pain from the ice preventing me from finishing the rest of that word. "What did you do that for!?" I growled angrily, my teeth bared.

"I'm _trying_ to keep the swelling down…" Spyro responded, still maintaining his calm demeanour but through his eyes I could tell that he was also a little bit panicked. "But I think I blew too much ice on your leg…"

"Really!? You think!? To me, it looks like you _did_!" I snapped, looking at my broken leg which was now bluish-white around the joint between my left thigh and my actual leg as well as being covered in tiny ice crystals.

Spyro then tried to lift a slab of rock from under my leg using his Earth element to elevate it but as pain singed through my system, I immediately tucked my leg closer to my body and growled at Spyro. I didn't care that my leg hurt even more than it did before but it was better off tucked in than in the hands of Spyro's elements.

"Stop it! You'll make it worse!" I snarled, claws digging into the dirt.

"No, it won't. I promise…" Spyro tried to calmly assure me but I wasn't having any of it.

I scoffed. "Bullshit, Spyro! Just another pathetic excuse to hurt me!"

Spyro's eyes widened, looking completely dumbfounded. "_What!?_ I'm not trying to hurt you!"

"Said the dragon that broke my leg in the freaking first place!"

A look of guilt swept over Spyro as he slightly turned his head away so he wasn't directly looking at me. At that moment, all my feelings of anger and pain were drowned out and were replaced with regret.

I went too far, I snapped at him again… what's wrong with me!? Is this how our relationship is going to be? I snap at him, he snaps back, I snap back again… it's a continuous loop. I don't want that and neither does he. If I don't want to lose Spyro then I need to control my temper… especially when I'm injured.

"Cynder, I know you're in pain but please don't take it out on me…" Spyro said softly, reluctantly facing me again. "I'm just trying to help…"

I sighed, calming down. "I know Spyro… I know. I'm sorry… It just hurts so much. "

"Sparx will be back any minute… just hang on, okay?" Spyro reassured. "Now I'm going to try to elevate your leg again… is that okay?"

I nodded. But as Spyro was about to use his Earth element again, I quickly reconsidered. "Uh, wait! Is there perhaps another way?" Spyro gave me a look of confusion. "You know, just in case you accidentally send a bit of rock to the moon or something and you take my leg with it..." I explained further.

Spyro nodded understandingly, sitting on his haunches. "Fair enough… so what did you want to use instead?" He then questioned.

I stared at him blankly. "Uh…" Okay, Cynder… maybe it would be a good idea to think of an alternative suggestion before actually suggesting it.

"Wait, I have an idea!" Spyro exclaimed, snapping his claws. "But I just need you to lift your leg slightly…"

"Ok…" I said, slowly lifting my leg with every little bit strength I could muster. Since it was only broken at the joint, lifting it was no big deal. "Now what?"

Without saying anything, Spyro suddenly slinked his body underneath my leg and laid on the ground as close to me as possible. Realising what he was doing, I lowered my leg and rested it on his wings.

"Better?" He wondered with a smile.

I smiled back, blushing slightly. "Better."

We then sat there in silence as we stared at each other affectionately… well at least, I was... I had no idea what Spyro was thinking in this moment. My heart skipped a couple of beats as I gazed into Spyro's amethyst eyes, seeing only wonder and kindness radiating from them.

That got me thinking… if Spyro was so kind then how come he didn't have any friends back home? Was it because he was a purple dragon? Was everyone afraid that he'll turn into a more powerful version of my father?

But at least he had the Guardians to keep him happy… otherwise he'll be exactly like me, an antisocial dragon with a nasty temper if provoked.

"Has anybody ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?" Spyro asked very suddenly.

My eyes widened and my blush deepened, my heart rate increasing faster than a cheetah running into battle. Did Spyro really just say that right now!?

"Um… uh…" Was all I could stutter out. I was so taken aback by what Spyro said that I couldn't figure out how to tease him back. How could I tease him anyway? He didn't look embarrassed about what he said, this time he seemed genuine…

My eyes slightly darted away from Spyro as I heard a familiar buzzing sound slowly approaching. I took a mental sigh of relief, thank the ancestors… "Oh look, Sparx's back!" I spoke up loudly as I pointed towards Sparx, Spyro snapping out of his trance-like state to see what I was pointing at. At the corner of my eye, I could see him looking down at the ground in disappointment.

Sparx flew excitedly around Spyro and I, a handful of white Gems wrapped around his limbs. I had no idea what he was saying but he was clearly happy about something, which was odd considering he was finding Gems to heal _my _broken leg.

"Sparx, you can tell me later…" Spyro said in an unenthusiastic tone. "Could I have the Gems please?"

Sparx stopped zooming around the place and placed the Gems next to Spyro, looking quite upset. Spyro then crawled under my leg and slowly placed it back on the ground, being careful to not hurt me even more. Spyro slid the Gems closer to my broken leg and shattered them with his front paw, the essence of the Gems flowing towards my leg.

The power of a thousand suns soon surged through my body. The bones in my leg started to knit themselves back together again, it was as if my leg was never broken in the first place. I felt great, more than great actually. I felt like I could run forever or take on a couple of Buffalo Beetles with just my bare paws!

"How does your leg feel?" Spyro questioned.

I stood up cautiously, not putting much weight on my leg. Once I had three of my paws firmly on the ground, I slowly placed my leg on the ground. I had to be careful not to put too much pressure on it in case the Gems somehow didn't work. As I put more weight on my leg, I noticed no quick sting of pain. Well there was no pain in general… nothing. I cracked a smile… my leg was completely healed.

"It feels much better…" I replied, stretching my now healed leg. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I couldn't just leave you with a broken leg, now could I?" Spyro smirked. He then turned and gestured towards a tower nearby. "Come on, not too far now."

Spyro, Sparx and I soon headed towards the tower. As we were walking, something got me curious… how did Spyro know about to treat my broken leg? The Guardians, as far as I knew, weren't physicians of any kind… so how did he know? Perhaps he read about it? Nah… Spyro didn't seem like the type that would read a book about injuries in his free time. He seems like more of the comic book reader type of creature, a type I don't really mind at all.

"So, um…" I spoke up. "When did you learn how to treat a broken leg?" I asked Spyro.

"There was an infirmary soap opera on TV once… Everyone except Cyril fell asleep during it." Spyro replied. I couldn't help but laugh in my head… of course he would learn how to treat an injury from a TV show!

I frowned in confusion. "Soap opera?"

Spyro paused for a minute before answering. "It's a show that goes on for decades… well sometimes."

"What's so interesting about an infirmary?"

Spyro chuckled. "You'd be surprised…"

**() **

After a short walk, Spyro and I eventually arrived at the tower. The tower wasn't like the towers I've seen in High Caves, this one was like a mini-tower of some sort. It was made of stone with a golden archway with draconic symbols etched into it and a large amount of moss growing on top of it, showing that this tower has been here for a long time. The tower was more open which allowed me to see right through it, a wooden, rickety old bridge was attached to it. The tower was also surrounded by lava, besides from a few grassy platforms that were scattered around it. But that didn't seem to be a problem since the tower was easy to glide or even jump to.

But as I looked around, I noticed that something was wrong… where is everyone? If Cyril was here then there should be guards right?

As Spyro continued to walk towards the tower, I stopped him by moving my wing in front of him. "Wait…" I muttered.

"Why? What's wrong?" Spyro wondered.

"Nothing…" I murmured, looking around cautiously. "And that's what worries me…"

"You lost me…"

"Don't you think this was a little too easy?" I questioned Spyro, turning towards him. "Where are all the guards?"

"Malefor must've assumed that we'll never get past all the lava. Hm, guess he was wrong…" Spyro shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "Cyril should be nearby, keep your eyes peeled…" He said as he continued to walk towards the tower. I cautiously followed him… but something still felt wrong, like someone was trying to bait us.

We made a steady glide towards some large stairs that were stone-carved into the side of the tower. Since we were closer to the tower, I was able to see what was beyond the bridge that was connected to it. What I saw was a tall metal cage, very similar to the ones that Volteer and Terrador were locked up in, which encased an icy blue dragon inside. I could only assume that was Cyril.

"Spyro, I see Cyril!" I exclaimed, pointing towards the ledge that Cyril was on. "He's in a cage just across the bridge!"

Spyro, who was ahead of me, turned his head towards me before turning towards the bridge. "Really? Is he okay?"

"Seems fine from here…" I replied, narrowing my eyes to get a closer look at Cyril. Spyro started to run up the stairs excitedly until I jumped in front of him. "But be careful, it might be a trap…" I advised cautiously.

Spyro raised his eyebrow. "Cynder, there's no one here…"

"I know…" I said, touching his paw. "But you never know what my father could be up to…"

Spyro thought about what I said for a second before nodding understandingly. "Okay, let's be cautious…"

Spyro and I began to walk up the enormous steps into the tower. (Seriously, who were these steps built for? Giants?) We made up into the tower and quickly walked onto the bridge just in case darts started to shoot out of the walls. Better to be safe than sorry, right?

As we walked onto the bridge, creaks emerged from nowhere as our weight started to put weight on the wooden planks underneath us. I wasn't really surprised, it was an old bridge after all… possibly built by an old civilization of dragons years ago. It looked old too with tiny threads of rope being out of place and slivers of wood from the planks has been shaved off over time. Or maybe that was because of the Apes and Gnorcs that were constantly walking up and down all the time.

I looked around the area once again, frowning. Nothing is this easy… what's going on here? What was Dad's game here? What was he trying to achieve here? I can't wrap my head around it… Dad doesn't need to be sneaky, he can literally kill anyone in his path in a heartbeat. So why was he doing this? Is he even here? Am I just overreacting? I just don't know!

Eventually we made it across the bridge where I got a better look of Cyril, who was still locked up in a cage. Cyril was about the same height as Volteer and Terrador and had light blue scales and a dark purple underbelly. All the frills and spikes on his body looked pointy and sharp, very similar to icicles. Out of the three dragons I've seen, Cyril looked very clean and pristine as if he hasn't been in battle as long as the other two Guardians. Except for the edges of his wings which were slightly torn but nothing too severe.

Cyril's eyes widened when he saw Spyro approaching. "Spyro? What are you doing here?" He spoke in a very posh accent.

"Ignitus sent me to rescue you guys…" Spyro explained. "I've already found Volteer and Terrador…"

"So I'm the last one to be rescued? Typical..." Cyril frowned, muttering under his breath. Gee, that's kind of harsh. At least Spyro actually rescued you.

"Stand back, it's about to get hot!" Spyro exclaimed, getting into an attack pose. Cyril backed away from the cage as much as he could in response. Spyro opened his mouth and a huge ball of fire shot out of it, hitting the lock in the exact same way it did with Terrador's cage. Once the smoke cleared, Cyril pushed the door open slowly and stepped out of the cage.

"Good show Spyro! An excellent use of your fire element!" Cyril praised. "I mean, it wasn't Ice but it got the job done…"

"Well I do have Ice… I just don't know how to use it properly." Spyro shrugged.

Cyril stared at Spyro, wide-eyed once again. "You mean...?"

"Yep… Fire, Electricity, Earth and Ice." Spyro nodded, listing off all of his elemental breaths with his paws.

"You owe Volteer gems by the way…" I chimed in, with a slight grin.

Cyril immediately darted his head in my direction, narrowing his icy cold eyes. It was as if he had just noticed that I was there. "And you are?" He questioned in a threatening tone.

"Oh right…" Spyro said before he quickly stood in between Cyril and I. "Cyril, this is Cynder. She's a friend…"

My face fell. A friend… Is that all I am to him? Earlier when he complimented my eyes, I thought he suggested otherwise. But I guess that's not the case...

Maybe I should tell him? But what should I say to him? Urgh, why does having a crush have to be so complicated!?

"Cynder, ay?" Cyril looked at me, furrowing his brow in an untrustworthy way. "So you must be the dragoness that the Gnorcs mentioned before they left me for dead…"

"Wait, there were Gnorcs here?" Spyro interjected before I could say anything. "Where did they go?"

"I'm not sure… a Grublin messenger arrived about an hour ago and escorted all the guards away." Cyril recounted.

Spyro and I exchanged looks. Okay, something is definitely up… I can feel it. Why would my father send the guards away? He wasn't the kind of dragon to just give up… what was he up to?

"Perhaps we should get going…" I suggested, looking around suspiciously. "Something doesn't seem right here…"

"Hmm, yes. That would be a wise idea…" Cyril nodded in agreement. "Lead the way, Spyro."

Spyro nodded and we soon started to head back towards the Portal. I trailed behind Spyro and Cyril, no doubting that Cyril would want to talk to Spyro about how to use his newfound Ice Element. Besides, I don't think Cyril was my biggest fan…

As we exited the tower area, I heard the sound of rocks tumbling against each other. I quickly turned my head to the source of the sound, only to find nothing… again.

I briefly gazed around the area to see if something or someone would pop out, the humid wind being the sound I could only hear. Narrowing my eyes, I turned around and trotted out of the tower to catch up with Spyro, Sparx and Cyril.

Deep down, something was wrong… somebody was watching me. I've got a bad feeling about this…

**(SPYRO's POV) **

Midday passed, even though it didn't feel like it in this place. The hot humid air stuck onto my face like glue, not even my Ice Breath could cool me down. The heat wasn't exactly helping me focus on Cyril's verbal lessons… since when did he start acting like Volteer all of a sudden? All I could hear was blah, blah, blah… bragging about royal ancestry… blah, blah, blah. I couldn't pay attention, there was so much clouding my mind right now.

I turned back towards Cynder, a worried expression on her face. I immediately grew concerned, what was she worried about? We saved the Guardians and her father is nowhere to be seen… what was there to be concerned about?

Oh… of course... her father is still out there doing who knows what. Saving the Guardians is merely setting Malefor's plans back a couple of steps, there's no telling what other plans he has up his scales!

Or maybe it was something else? The fact that the adventure is over and she'll have to keep running away forever, perhaps?

No… she doesn't deserve to live like that, especially with all she's been through. Maybe I could ask her to come back to the Artisan Valley again? Maybe I could tell her how I feel?

"Do you trust her?" Cyril spoke up suddenly.

I blinked and looked up to Cyril. "Uh, what?" I asked, having just snapped out of my thoughts.

Cyril rolled his eyes before answering. "Your new friend... do you trust her?"

"Of course I do… I trust her with my life." I answered, a little bit annoyed at Cyril's question. Volteer and Terrador seemed fine with Cynder, why wasn't Cyril?

Cyril frowned. "Your life? That's a bit much, isn't it?"

I was taken aback. Why would Cyril say something like that!? He doesn't have the right to say who I can or can not trust! "Cynder and I have been through a lot these past few days. Even if we don't agree with something, we always have each other's back. So yes, I do trust her with my life." I retorted.

"Spyro, she's the daughter of Malefor… you're lucky that you're still in one piece!" Cyril barked, stopping in his tracks and facing me.

"But she's changed! She's nothing like him… she's _better!_" I argued.

Cyril scoffed. "Hmph, I find that very unlikely…" He said, slightly pointing his head upward in a snooty way before walking off.

I frowned and shook my head disapprovingly as Cyril walked off. Unbelievable, could he let go of his ego for one second?

"He doesn't like me, does he?" Cynder wondered, walking towards me now that Cyril was out of the way.

I sighed. "It's not that. Cyril just comes from a long line of Ice Guardians… he has a standard to live up to. To him, the world is in black and white. Everyone's either just good or just bad in his opinion…" I explained.

Cynder looked down at the ground as she went deep into thought, pondering whether I was lying or not. She was so deep in thought that I couldn't tell what she is leaning towards…

"So we completed the mission, right?" Cynder questioned, changing the subject completely as we started to walk again.

I nodded. "Seems so, yeah…"

I couldn't believe how far I've gotten in just a few days. I've rescued the Guardians, went to realms I've never set foot on, been on the verge of death… many times, kicked ass and finally I made a friend that wasn't Sparx. For the first time in my life, I found someone I could relate to… I found my other half. The other half that I've been dreading to find since, well forever!

But that's all going to go away, isn't it? I'm going back to the Artisan Valley whereas Cynder will be living in an unknown realm somewhere, always on the run from her father because she's scared to go back home.

I don't want to live as an outcast, I want her to come back to the Artisan Valley with me. I wanted to see her and hang out with her everyday. Perhaps become something more in the future?

However that's not my choice to make, it was Cynder's. If she wanted to live alone then the only thing I could do is to respect her decision. I couldn't force her to live in the Artisan Valley if she didn't want to…

"What are you going to do once you get back home?" Cynder asked.

"Well, I'm going to have a nice bath… that's a good start." I answered, Cynder giving a slight giggle in response. "But other than that… I'm not sure. Maybe I'll go back to chasing sheep again… what about you? What are you going to do?"

Cynder looked down at the ground, once again deep in thought. "I've been thinking about that… I'm not too sure either."

"My offer still stands…"

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "Offer?"

"Yeah, to come and live in the Artisan Valley… with me… and the Guardians." I reminded her, getting slightly nervous all of a sudden.

"I don't know, Spyro…" Cynder said sadly. "What about Icicle Face over there? There's no way he's going to-"

I chuckled. "Don't worry about Cyril… As long as the other Guardians like you, you have nothing to fear." I assured, putting my paw on top of hers.

While Cynder was slightly cheered up when I said that, she was still clearly worried. "And my father? He knows where you live…"

"We will protect you." I said calmly. "Malefor won't be able to go through four Guardians, countless of Elder Dragons and a purple dragon, can he?"

Cynder seemed unconvinced. "I still don't know, Spyro…"

I looked down in sadness and half-turned away from Cynder. There was no way I could convince her anymore. Like I said before, it was her choice after all. Cynder saw how saddened I was and slightly smirked. Oh ancestors, I hope she wasn't trying to make fun of me again…

"You really want me to come with you, don't you?" She asked softly.

I turned to face her again. "Of course I do… I want to protect you." I answered. "You deserve so much better than just living in a variety of unknown realms alone…"

Cynder took a moment to think about it before smiling and rolling her eyes. "Okay… I'll come with you."

"But you-" I started to ramble until I was stopped dead in my tracks. Did Cynder say what I thought she said… I wasn't hearing things, right? Wide-eyed, I stared at Cynder with a surprised look on my face. "Wait… what did you just say?"

"Spyro, I want to come back with you…" Cynder clarified, her smile turning into a happy grin. "If that's okay with you, that is?"

My heart started to do a thousand somersaults at this point, beating frantically with excitement so much that it felt like it almost touched my chest. I couldn't believe it, Cynder was coming back to the Artisan Valley!

"Okay? I'm more than okay!" I exclaimed cheerfully, wrapping my paws around Cynder in a tight hug. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Spyro… too tight…" Cynder choked.

I realised how tight I was hugging Cynder and immediately broke the hug, blushing embarrassingly. "Heh… sorry about that…" I apologised, nervously.

"It's fine, Spyro." Cynder muttered, rubbing her arm. "I had no idea you were _that_ excited..."

I chuckled. "Well, I…"

"Enough chin-wagging, you two!" Cyril suddenly interrupted from a distance. "Let's pick up the pace a bit!"

Cynder and I exchanged looks, simultaneously blushing before we start laughing to ourselves like little hatchlings. As we saw that Cyril was getting impatient, our laughter slowly died down as we began walking again.

"Come on, let's not keep Clifftown Abbey waiting…" Cynder whispered in my ear, smirking as she walked in front of me. She slowly brushed the smooth bit of her tail blade underneath my chin which caused my whole face to turn red at the slightest touch.

Wait, was she flirting? Or just being playful? I wasn't too sure…

As we continued to edge closer and closer towards the Portal, the urge to tell Cynder about my feelings for her became stronger and stronger. My heart was telling me to go and tell her as soon as possible but my brain was holding me back, telling me to patient and to tell when the time is more appropriate or was just telling me to drop the subject and continue the walk back home in silence.

What should I listen to? My heart or my brain? I felt so conflicted…

Tell her?

Don't tell her?

Tell her?

Don't tell her?

Tell her…?

My heart started to beat faster. That's it, I'm going to tell her… It's now or never.

"Hey, Cynder… could I talk to you about something?" I wondered, a nervous tone to my voice.

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were already talking…?"

I mentally face-palmed. Right… silly me. "Uh… what I mean is that there's something I need to tell you." I rephrased, standing in front of her. "Something that's been in my head for a while now…"

"Sure, what's up?" Cynder wondered, growing concerned.

I cleared my throat. Ok, this is it Spyro… you're going to tell her how you feel. Just don't mess it up. "These past few days have been special to me. It wasn't because I left the Valley for the first time ever. It wasn't because I felt like a hero for once in my life. They were special to me because I met you…"

Cynder's concerned expression faded away as she was touched by my words, a hint of red spreading onto her cheeks. "Really?"

"Yeah…" I nodded. "Before this adventure started, I was alone with no friends and had no clear path for the future. I felt empty but ever since I met you, I now feel complete…"

Cynder's eyes welled up slightly. But I wasn't sure if she already knew or she was just _very _emotionally touched by what I was saying. "Spyro, what are you trying to say?" She asked.

"Cynder…" I said before taking a deep breath. This is it, just say the magic words. "I lo-"

Then suddenly a loud, gravelly roar erupted out of nowhere, shaking the entire world under my paws. I quickly looked around to find the source of the roar. Seriously? Something picks this time to roar but not perhaps maybe a couple of minutes later?

"Um… what was that?" I questioned cautiously, turning to Cynder once again. Her face had become frozen with fear, her eyes widened with her left eye slightly twitching and her maw was slightly open.

"I-I know that r-roar…" Cynder murmured, her eye twitching frantically. "We've got to get out of-"

Before Cynder could finish what she was saying, the roar occurred again. This time it was much louder, as if it was getting closer to us. Then all of a sudden a dark shape swooped over us, the draft from the flapping of its wings pushing us to the ground.

"He's here…" Cynder said anxiously.

He? Who's he?

The dark shape circled back around and landed right in front of the Portal, slamming it's paws onto the ground which caused it to crack around the shape.

As the dark shape shimmered away the darkness that surrounded it, purple scales started to emerge. Wait a minute… purple scales?

No, It couldn't be…

_Malefor. _

As far as I could see, Malefor was my complete opposite. Instead of being small and cute like I was, Malefor was huge and scary. He had purple scales but it was much darker than mine, a few more shades until it turns black. The three big horns that grew on his face kind of resembled a crown of sorts, a monstrous looking crown. Yellow-tipped spikes also grew from his shoulders, the back of his head and trailed down alongside his back as well as the back of his hind legs. His tailblade looked very similar to Cynder's but it was more triangular and more sharper.

What occurred to me was that Cynder looked nothing like Malefor. I kind of figured that she wasn't _really_ the daughter of Malefor, but part of me doubted this before Malefor showed up.

"Daughter…" The Dark Master growled. "I found you at last…"

Cyril rushed towards Cynder, Sparx and I and then stood his ground between us and Malefor, legs spread and wings flared in an attack pose "Spyro! Cynder! Get back!" Cyril barked. "You are not welcome here, Malefor! Leave now and go back to the hole you crawled out of!"

"_Really?_" Malefor chuckled, his laugh sounding artificial and heavily filtered which sounded similar to Cynder's voice when I first met her. "Why don't you make me, Ice Guardian!"

Cyril growled and charged at Malefor, firing a stream of ice at his face. Malefor countered Cyril's attack by breathing fire at the ice stream, instantly turning it into steam due to the heat. Malefor then used his Earth element to lift the ground around Cyril, launching him into the sky before he could attack again. Before Cyril could touch the ground, Malefor used his Ice element to freeze Cyril in mid air a couple of metres off the ground.

I stood there speechless. Malefor just single-handedly defeated Cyril. Cyril wasn't the best fighter out of the four Guardians but he can hold his own for longer than a few seconds. Just how powerful was this Dark Master?

"Now… where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?" Malefor wondered to himself, pausing for a minute before smirking at Cynder and I. "Oh yes, I remember. You're a hard dragoness to find, daughter… well not really." He then briefly glanced in my direction. "And I see you brought me Ignitus' little pride and joy. Well done."

Malefor then sat on his haunches and stared at me darkly. "Hmm… so you're the purple dragon that's been killing my guards and freeing all of the Guardians?" He hissed "Never thought I see another one of my kind in my lifetime..."

"What do you what, Malefor?" I murmured angrily.

Malefor frowned. "Right now, all I want is to take my daughter and go. I haven't come here to kill you, Spyro… at least not yet anyway."

As Malefor inched forward, I took a step towards him thus blocking him from Cynder. "Don't touch her…" I snarled, hiding the fact that I was terrified by the Dark Master's presence.

Malefor raised an eyebrow, clearing unfazed by my warning. "Don't be a fool, Spyro… You may be a purple dragon but you are a mere novice compared to the power that I possess."

Well, he was right about that… I'd only discovered my abilities in a span of a few days while he had years possibly eons of mastering all of his elements. But that wasn't going to stop me from trying though… I couldn't let him take Cynder, I just couldn't!

"I don't care, you are not taking Cynder…" I said, getting into an attack position.

Malefor smirked evilly. "Fine then… suit yourself." He said before spitting a fireball in my direction.

I easily dodged the fireball and proceeded to hit him with everything I've got. Bit of fire, bit of electricity, bit of earth and bit of ice but nothing affected him. Malefor didn't even counter attack my elements with his elements, he simply batted them away with his wings. Frustrated, I aimed a beam of electricity directly at Malefor's face only for Malefor to shield himself with his wings once again as he edged closer and closer towards me.

Once he was close enough, Malefor backhanded me with his paw which sent me flying into the nearby wall and crashing to the grass below.

"Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed, rushing to my aid until Malefor used his Earth element to block her path. Sparx, who had turned blue, flew over to me to see if I was okay.

"Stay out of this, Cynder!" Malefor barked.

Now that Malefor was distracted, I quickly got up and blasted a ball of fire directly at him. This time however, it actually did hit him close to his eyes. Malefor started to stumble around slightly as he shook his head from the stinging pain that the fireball left behind.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Malefor roared. Now I see where Cynder gets her colourful language from…

"Ooh, that looks painful. Want some ice with that?" I taunted, firing some ice at his paws.

Malefor quickly shook off the ice and grabbed me, digging his sharp claws deep into each side of my body which caused me to cry out in pain. He then slammed me onto the wall, my vision didn't get clear up enough to see that he slammed me onto the wall again… and again.

The first two hits didn't hurt as much but the third time felt different. Bones started to crack from the brute force and blood started to dribble down my nose as well as the spots where Malefor's claws penetrated my scales.

Where was Sparx? Wasn't he supposed to…? Uh, oh…

"Who's laughing now!?" Malefor roared as he threw my battered body onto the grass. Everything ached, my head was ringing from being pummeled into a stone wall repeatedly and my vision was all over the place but I was still alive… thank the ancestors.

"And now… you die!" I hear Malefor growl before opening his mouth, a strange bright purple light building up inside.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what comes next. The end was approaching, there's nothing that I could do now… especially not in the condition that I was in at the moment.

"No! Stop!" A familiar voice called out.

I slowly opened my eyes to see that Cynder was standing in between myself and her father, wings and all four of her legs spread out.

"What do you think you're doing, daughter!?" Malefor barked, the strange purple light fading away as he closed his maw. "Get out of the way! I have a clear shot at him!"

"No. I won't let you hurt him…" Cynder refused in a more calmer tone compared to her father's.

"What are you playing at!? He's our enemy!"

"He's had enough, Dad… You won, just leave him alone, okay?" Cynder insisted.

"And I should listen to you why?" The Dark Master spat.

"Spare him and Cyril…" Cynder said before sighing sadly. "And I'll come home with you…"

My eyes widened and my heart slightly broke. Wait, what? What was Cynder saying? I thought she wanted to come back to the Artisan Valley…

No, this is all a ruse… she's going to get him to calm down then attack him when he's off-guard, right? Right?

Malefor frowned and curled his maw slightly. "Fine." He then turned around and headed over to where Cyril was frozen and breathed a huge wisp of fire, causing the ice around Cyril to crack and eventually shatter around him. Now free from being encased in ice, Cyril collapsed onto the ground. He lifted his head slightly before laying it back on the ground… guess he was still waking up.

But why wasn't Cynder doing anything? He's distracted, it's the perfect moment for a sneak attack… why was she just standing there?

Strangely Malefor opened his mouth slightly, that same purple light emitting from his maw once again. A dark portal with a purple border suddenly opened, cracks of purple lightning occasionally appearing. I didn't know purple dragons could open portals… if only I knew that beforehand, that would've made rescuing the Guardians even easier.

"Come, daughter." Malefor muttered, turning towards Cynder.

Cynder lowered her head and slowly headed over towards Malefor. She stopped briefly and took a quick glance towards me before heading off again. I got up as quickly as I could and tried to follow her but my injuries prevented me from doing so.

"Wait, can I least say goodbye to Spyro?" Cynder asked, stopping in her tracks for a second time and looking up at her father. Goodbye? No, this is all part of the ruse… she couldn't possibly be saying goodbye…

Malefor slightly growled under his breath before turning to Cynder. "Why?"

"Dad… please…." She pleaded softly.

Malefor sighed, a hint of regret on his face. "Make it quick."

Cynder nodded and instantly raced over to me. Finally… I can get some answers to what Cynder was planning. "So what's the plan?" I quickly asked.

Cynder didn't respond straight away, her face turning sad all of a sudden. "There's no plan, Spyro…"

I blinked in confusion. She had to have a plan, wasn't wanting to say goodbye code for something? "Wh-what do you mean?" I wondered, hoping that I wasn't about to get the answer that I didn't want to hear.

"I'm sorry, Spyro…" Cynder murmured.

There was the answer… even though she didn't say much, I automatically knew what she meant. Everything started to tear inside me, as if my heart was going through a paper shredder. She wasn't lying… this is really the end.

"No… don't go." I pleaded as my eyes start to well up with tears.

"Spyro, I don't have much of a choice…"

"There's always a choice…"

"Not for me…"

"But I thought..." I started to say, holding back my tears. I couldn't finish my sentence, it hurts too much.

Seeing how upset I was getting, Cynder put her paw on top of my paw in comfort. "Hey… don't worry about me, I'm going to be alright…" She assured.

I didn't respond… I couldn't, I just couldn't. I was too shocked about what was happening to think of anything to say, all I could do was give her a slight smile of reassurance. I was worried for her of course but I knew that she could handle anything on her own.

Cynder started to fiddle around the back of her choker for a couple of seconds. Eventually it unclipped and Cynder was able to remove it from her neck. "Here… take this." She said as she placed it on the ground near my paws.

"Your choker?"

"Yeah…" Cynder nodded. "Something to remember me by..."

I picked up Cynder's choker and examined it, feeling the surprisingly cool metal on my paws. It was great that I had something to remember her by but it sucked that I don't have anything to give to her.

"I'm going to miss you…" I muttered as I put Cynder's choker back on the ground.

A tear streamed down Cynder's cheek. "I'm going to miss you too…"

Cynder and I moved closer to one another and nuzzled each other affectionately, both of us being tandem with one another. Her scales felt cold and smooth against mine, it was a nice feeling… I wanted to do this forever but it seems the ancestors have other plans for the two of us.

After a couple of seconds of nuzzling, we rested our foreheads against each other. I loved her so much… I didn't want to let her go.

"Goodbye Spyro…" Cynder whispered, trying to hold back from bursting into tears.

A tear slowly started to stream down my cheek. "Goodbye… Cynder…" I whispered back.

Cynder separated from our affectionate hold and walked back towards Malefor, who was darkly staring at me with his piercing yellow eyes. He did not look happy to see that his own daughter was being affectionate towards me.

"Till we meet again, purple dragon. Next time I won't be so forgiving…" Malefor vowed before he entered the portal that he made. I would've felt threatened if I wasn't so upset right now.

Before she headed into the portal, Cynder gave another quick glance in my direction. I responded with a sad, little wave. Cynder smiled at my gesture, I'm going to miss that smile… well, I was going to miss her in general…

Then Cynder headed into the portal, the portal instantly closing behind her in a flash of purple lighting. Everything went dead silent all of a sudden.

She was gone… just like that.

**() **

Do you know that moment in films where something happens to the protagonist to make the audience seem like all is lost?

This was one of those moments… I'll start hearing sad songs in my head any minute now.

Cyril had recovered from his ordeal with Malefor, few cuts there and there but I'm pretty sure that he'll live. Sparx, meanwhile, had disappeared since his shield that protected me was broken from my brief fight with Malefor so I had to find some butterflies to get him back.

As for me, I was broken… both physically and mentally. The love of my life had her freedom taken away from her and I got my ass handed to me by her own father. Not exactly my finest hour…

How could've I been so stupid? Attacking Malefor with just a few days experience? What was I thinking!? If only I didn't act the way I acted then Cynder wouldn't have… wouldn't have…

It was all my fault… Cynder was taken away because of me.

Cynder… I'm so sorry…

As Cyril and I returned back to the Artisan Valley, there was something different about the overall atmosphere. It hadn't been taken over or anything, it still felt like home… but it didn't feel as satisfying to be there as I originally thought. To be honest, it felt kind of dull.

Ignitus, Volteer and Terrador were waiting at the archway that leads into the Portal Room, their faces were wiped of all happiness as soon as they saw how battered and bruised Cyril and I were. I was trying so hard to keep a brave face as I saw the look of concern on Ignitus' face.

"What happened?" Ignitus wondered.

I couldn't take it anymore. I quickly raced towards Ignitus and wrapped my paws around him, instantly bursting into tears. Ignitus was surprised by my sudden outburst but he didn't ask any questions, he only wrapped his front paw around me in comfort.

"There, there young dragon… everything's going to be okay…"

**Woo, finally… it's done! Sorry about the long wait, this chapter took a lot longer than it needed too...**

**So anyway I'll hopefully be updating this story sometime this month, I'll be pretty busy around this time so don't freak out if there's no update. **

**In case I don't see you, I'll tell you about my plans for 2020! First off, I'll be starting off my Crossover-Verse Trilogy with Convergence (A Scooby-Doo/Doctor Who/Marvel crossover) and hopefully the start of my version of Infinity War! **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y! **_


	10. Flash (Ah, ah)

**Welcome back! Last time Spyro and Cynder journeyed to the realm of Molten Crater to rescue Cyril where they encountered Malefor for the first time (Oh, and Cynder broke her leg as well). After Spyro was easily defeated by Malefor, Cynder was forced to give herself up which left Spyro utterly heartbroken. **

**So how is Spyro coping now he's returned home without Cynder? Let's find out, shall we? **

**(Chapter 10: Flash (Ah, ah)) **

_One week later… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

_Whiteness. That's all that I could see. _

_I walked around, curiously gazing at the sheer empty void that surrounded me. Where was I and how did I even get here? It just didn't seem real… yet it did. _

"_Hello?" I shouted out, my echo bouncing back immediately. "Sparx? You here?" _

_No answer, just dead silence. Odd. Was I kidnapped by aliens or something? Nah… couldn't be. Everything was too silent and empty for me to be in some alien spaceship… unless they were invisible or perhaps just very, very clean. _

_I continued walking forward, hoping to find a way out of this empty void. There was something strange about this place… I felt like I was moving but everything around me wasn't. It was very weird… the sooner I get out of this place, the better. _

_Then suddenly I saw a small figure in the distance. Even by squinting my eyes, I couldn't tell who or what was standing there. _

"_Spyro…" _

_My eyes widened. That voice… I know that voice. _

_Realising whose voice it was, I quickly raced towards the figure in the distance. I grew more and more excited as the figure grew closer and closer. Those black scales and emerald-green eyes that make my heart skip a beat everytime I see them became recognisable once I laid eyes on them again. _

_I saw the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. I saw Cynder… _

_When I approached Cynder, she was sitting on her haunches looking blankly towards me. While I did find that a little strange, I didn't bat an eye. I was just so happy to see her again!_

"_Cynder… you're okay…" I muttered as I went to cup one of her cheeks, eyes welling up. _

_Cynder didn't respond, she simply just stood there as if I wasn't there in the first place. Something wasn't right… I could feel it. _

"_Cynder, you are okay… right?" I wondered, getting concerned about Cynder's tranced state. _

_She then looked at me directly in the eye. "Spyro, why didn't you save me?" She murmured. _

"_W-what?" I stammered, surprised at Cynder's question. _

"_You let me get taken away, why didn't you do anything?" Cynder asked, slightly tilting her head. _

"_Cynder, I…" _

"_You are a purple dragon… you have abilities that rivals my own father!" Cynder interjected angrily, moving towards me threateningly. "So, why didn't you save me!?" _

"_Cynder, I couldn't… I'm sorry…" I tried to answer. I've never seen Cynder act this way before… what could've happened to her? _

"_Do you have any idea what it's like to live with my father!?" Cynder growled. "Do you understand the horrors I have to deal with!?" _

"_I know, I know… but…" _

"_And now… you turned me into THIS!" Cynder spat as her emerald eyes glowed a malicious blood-red. _

_Suddenly Cynder's entire body started to illuminate the same colour red as her eyes, the red radiating onto the pure white surroundings. She then grew bigger, gaining a longer neck and larger wings. She was a little taller than Terrador now but that was mostly due to her neck as well as her enlarged horns. Her body became more longer and leaner, looking more like an adult rather than my age. Once her transformation was complete, she roared so loudly that it made my ears ring. _

_Why would Malefor do this to her? To hurt me!? To hurt her!? What was his purpose!? _

"_C-Cynder…?" I stuttered, lost for words at Cynder's new appearance. _

"_Cynder is no more…" Cynder muttered, her new voice sounding very similar to her father's. "I am only the Dark Master's greatest creation... the Terror of the Skies!" She yelled triumphantly. _

_No… Cynder couldn't be gone, she had to be in there somewhere! She has to fight off Malefor's influence! _

"_And now, purple dragon…" Cynder said, smirking evilly. "You have to die." _

_Cynder chuckled and stomped her foreleg onto the ground as hard as she could, causing large cracks to emerge underneath. Red light began to bleed out from the cracks and slowly crawled towards me. _

_Terrified, I made a run for it… however, what I didn't consider was that the cracks started to follow me. As I felt the heat from the cracks on my paws, I ran faster but it proved ineffective as the cracks quickly overtook me. The ground now felt fragile but I still kept running at the same pace, I couldn't let Cynder get to me… _

_The world shattered around me, a red void overwhelming the white. I felt lighter, I felt like I was falling… the sound of Cynder's laughing echoing all over the place. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the end take place. _

_I'm sorry, Cynder… _

**()**

"Cynder!" I suddenly exclaimed loudly, rising up from the comfort of my bed.

Wait a second… bed?

I slowly gazed around, getting a sense of where I was. It was a little difficult to telI since it was quite dark besides from the candlelight illuminating in the hallway. But as I saw familiar shapes such as a couple of beanbags, a shelf full of DVDs and books and a certain yellow dragonfly snoring away at the end of my bed, I soon realised that I was in my bedroom… but how did I get here? I was in an empty white void about a few minutes ago…

Unless… it was a dream… well more accurately, a nightmare.

So does that mean that Cynder wasn't turned into a big, sexy dragon lady? Was I just making it all up? Wait, why did I say that Cynder was sexy? Where did that come from!?

Shaking my head of all thoughts about my nightmare, I quietly got out of bed and slinked my way towards the door. I needed some air…

Easily sneaking past Sparx, I opened the door as slowly as I could so that I wouldn't wake him up. Even though that Sparx was a heavy sleeper, I didn't want to take any risks… especially this week.

There was absolute silence as I walked down the hallway, the flickering of flames dancing on the braziers being the sound I could faintly hear. Everyone was fast asleep… good, I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

I made my way towards the balcony that Ignitus brought me to after my little spat with Eruptor. It was the only time that I could clear my mind… especially with all that happened lately. I stood on my hind legs and looked up towards the stars, resting against the handrail. The stars looked exactly the same as the ones that Cynder and I gazed at… how was that even possible?

My eyes darted to a collection of stars that formed into a dragon chasing after a deer and my heart immediately fell. Cynder quite liked that constellation…

At the mere mention of Cynder, my eyes instantly welled up. I closed my eyes and shook my head to stop myself from crying. However I couldn't do anything to get rid of the pain…

One week… one week without her…

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm fine… and while I tell them that I am, truth is… I'm not. I'm barely holding onto my emotions as it is. I promised myself that I wasn't going to let Cynder's absence get to me…

I tell myself every day, she's going to be okay… she said it herself, why should I doubt her now?

I just wished… I could've told her how I felt. How I _really _felt…

"Spyro?" The voice of Terrador murmured, sounding groggy. "Why are you up at this hour?"

My eyes widened in surprise. Why was Terrador awake? Did he hear me? Did he just run into me? Whatever it is, I wasn't actually keen on talking to him at the moment.

"Uh…" I said, at a loss for words. I then suddenly closed my eyes again, an idea shooting into my head. "I'm sleepwalking." I blurted out. Sleepwalking? Really? The point of sleepwalking is that you don't say that you're sleepwalking!

What I did afterwards made me question my train of thought. My eyes still firmly shut, I turned around and walked away from the balcony while pretending to be in some sort of trance. I must've hit my head on some of the walls nearby as I felt the sudden stops of the paths I have taken. But out of sheer dumb luck, I managed not to bump into Terrador on the way. I had no idea how Terrador was reacting to this and frankly I didn't want to know either!

I had to keep my eyes closed as I strolled down the hallway in case Terrador was watching. I would occasionally open one eye to see if I was going the right way then quickly close it to not arouse suspicion. But I think I failed that already since I said to Terrador that I was apparently sleepwalking… no doubt he's going to tell Ignitus about this. That's what the other Guardians have been doing.

Eventually I made it to my room, opening my eyes to see if Terrador was closely following behind me. Once the coast was clear, I snuck back inside and climbed back into bed. When I heard footsteps heading in the direction of my room, I immediately draped the blanket over my head to make it look like I was asleep the entire time.

Once I heard the footsteps slowly fade away in the distance, I closed my eyes and went back to sleep.

It was going to be another long day…

**() **

_BEEP! _

_BEEP! _

_BEEP! _

I reluctantly lifted my head to the annoying sound of the alarm. I haven't quite used to being woken up by my alarm yet after spending a few days in the other realms. During that time, I actually gotten a good amount of sleep…

I rubbed my eyes and weakly reached towards the alarm to turn it off. Once I had turned it off, I slumped back into the comfort of my pillow. There was no point in getting up…

Sparx started to zoom all around the place, buzzing loudly as he was eagerly trying to get me up and about. While I was tempted by the offer of going and burning some sheep, there was something deep inside me made think twice… as if burning sheep had suddenly become dull and repetitive.

"No, Sparx… I'm not in the mood…" I mumbled through my pillow.

Sparx murmured annoyingly at me, keeping his concerns to himself. Next thing I knew, I was being zapped in the back of my head. I instantly rose out of bed in a panic, rubbing the stings in the back of my head.

"Ow! Hey, what did you do that for!?" I growled.

Sparx folded his arms and told me that it was time to get up and to stop lying about. It's weird that he's the one waking _me _up rather than the other way round.

"But still… you didn't have to zap me, I was going to get up sooner or later…" I muttered, examining my paw to see if I was bleeding from the back of my head.

Sparx rolled his eyes as if to say 'whatever you say, Spyro'. I frowned and got myself out of bed where I did my usual morning stretches, the bones in the spine popping as I hunched my back up towards the roof.

"You're lucky that I'm hungry…" I said to Sparx after doing my stretches, my stomach grumbling in agreement.

Soon enough, Sparx and I exited our room and traversed down the hallway and the many chambers that the Dragon Temple had. Seriously, it's like a maze sometimes. We eventually made it to the main gate and out into the sheer openness of the Artisan Valley, narrowly missing Cyril who gave me a confused look since I didn't crash into him this time.

The Artisan Valley remains ever so busy and is packed full of dragons, despite the cloudy weather and the twin suns being nowhere in sight. The shops were still attracting customers from here to all the way to other realms I haven't ever heard of. Young hatchlings that came from a clutch of eggs after me were busy playing in the marketplace, laughing excitedly as one tackled the other. Everyone acted normal, everything was… normal.

You'd think that after Gnasty Gnorc attacked the Valley, everyone would be cautious about hanging around in open grounds. True that it has been a few days but surely the fear would still be there, right? But it seems that this was not the case...

When I got back from saving all the Guardians… no one batted an eye. No one seemed to care that I risked my life to save them. Only the Elders knew of my little adventure and would offer their gratitude whenever I run into them, which I appreciate but not as much as I wanted to. But everyone else? They just treated me how they've always treated me… with blank stares or looks of disgust with the occasional fascinated look of a hatchling's face who was seeing me for the very first time.

And now I know why… I reminded them of Malefor. I scared them, they think I'm going to become the new Dark Master when I grow up. The ancestors must've had so much faith in him to bring a new age to dragonkind only for Malefor to turn against them… and now I'm paying the consequences for it.

But they've seen me… they know I wouldn't hurt anyone out of the blue. Or perhaps that was what Malefor was like back in his youth?

I ignored the sheep that were peacefully eating grass in their paddock and made my way to Alvar's meat stall where as always, he was preoccupied with something. Before I could say anything, Alvar straightened himself up and turned towards the stall.

"Oh, hello Spyro…" Alvar greeted, his tone indicating that he was not expecting me at all. "You're early this morning… wasn't expecting you for at least half an hour..."

"Well… better early than late, right?" I shrugged.

Alvar raised an eyebrow and peered over to the sheep paddock, leaning against the meat stall before turning to me. "Laying off the sheep today, Spyro?"

"Uh… yeah. Yeah…" I nodded, gazing over to the sheep as I thought of an excuse. "Figured they can use a break." I eventually said.

Alvar gave me a suspicious look. "Right…" He muttered before wiping the suspicious look off his face and placing a paw on top of the meat stall. "So what can I get ya? Fish, I'm guessing…?" He questioned, hovering his hand over the fish.

Wait… fish?

_"Did you enjoy that?" I wondered, already thinking that she was going to enjoy it. _

_"Totally…" Cynder muttered, the tone of her voice sounding slow and calm. _

_"Good..." I chuckled. "I'll have to remember that for next time." _

_"Looking forward to it…" Cynder said, the slightest hint of a smile forming from the corner of her mouth. _

I blinked, the flashback fading away from my mind. "No!" I unexpectedly shouted as Alvar was about to pick up a fish close to him. Alvar and Sparx stood frozen in place, shocked looks on their faces. Oh, no… that wasn't meant to be that loud, it just came out…

I took a deep breath. "I mean, no… just the chicken thanks…" I murmured.

Alvar seemed confused by this. "Chicken, huh? May I ask why?"

"Sorry, the fish just reminded me of…" I replied, pausing for a moment. "Someone I knew…"

"Oh…" Alvar smirked, grabbing a chicken from the stall. "What was her name?"

My eyes widened, nervously darting from left to right. How did he know about Cynder? I haven't told anyone about her, so how did he find out!? "Um… I d-didn't say a-anything about it being a h-her…"

"You didn't have to." Alvar said, calmly. "I know heartbreak when I see it… having experienced it myself."

I raised an eyebrow and tilted my head slightly. "You… have?" I wondered.

Alvar nodded slowly. "Sure, I've been with lots of dragonesses… none have quite succeeded in becoming the one yet." He started to ramble before getting his thoughts together, ripping a drumstick off. "You get the idea… the point is, I know what it's like to have your heart broken and you, my boy, have gotten your heart broken pretty good…"

I stood there and sadly looked down at the ground, considering Alvar's words. "I have, haven't I?" I croaked, looking back up to Alvar. "I didn't even get the chance to tell Cynder how I felt…"

"You may get another chance…" Alvar said as he put pieces of chicken in a basket.

I quietly shook my head. "No… I won't…" I sighed. "Cynder was taken by Malefor…"

Alvar's face fell when I mentioned what happened to Cynder. "Oh… oh, I'm sorry Spyro."

"I know…"

As Alvar was finishing up packing the chicken into a basket (this was due to the fact that a chicken is harder to carry around in a dragon's maw than a fish…), Sparx grabbed three different-coloured Gems and placed them in the palm of my paw. As I was about to give the Gems to Alvar, he gave me a sympathetic look and pushed the Gems back towards me.

"Don't worry about that. It's on the house…" Alvar said calmly, offering me the basket.

My eyes widened once again, Gems still in my paw. "What? You don't have to-"

"Just take the chicken, Spyro…"

I took a reluctant look towards the basket of chicken, still being held in Alvar's grip. I didn't deserve this, I didn't win anything… sure I saved the Guardians but at what cost? The freedom of someone I loved dearly? I'm not a hero, never was… never will. If I was then… Cynder would be right next to me this very minute.

Ultimately I decided to take the basket of chicken, not wanting to be rude. "Thank you..." I muffled, the basket preventing me from talking clearly.

Alvar gave me a sympathetic smile. "Take care now, Spyro…"

I left without saying anything else. Normally I would head into the temple to eat but after my little incident with the Skylanders, I decided not to. Besides, I would not like to engage with those morons again… who knows what could happen? So instead of going into the temple, I walked towards a nearby clearing where I sat down in the shade of a tree close by, Sparx zooming around to keep himself entertained as I ate.

Finally… some peace and quiet…

"Well, look who we have here…" A familiar voice called out.

And… I spoke too soon.

As I munched on my chicken peacefully, Eruptor and the rest of the Skylanders confidently marched towards me. Well, Eruptor was… the other Skylanders seemed a bit uneasy than usual, Jet-Vac was trying to catch up with Eruptor and unsuccessfully stop him from heading in my direction. I rolled my eyes… why today of all days?

"I'm eating, Eruptor, what do you want?" I muttered calmly, paying more attention to the chicken than to Eruptor.

Eruptor frowned. "You know damn well what I want!" He snarled, pointing one of his 'hands' at me. "Because of you, I could be kicked out of the Skylanders Association!"

I rubbed my eyes together in annoyance, I am _so _not in the mood for this. "It's not my fault… as I recall, you were the one that provoked me!" I pointed out.

"_I _provoked _you_!? You hit me in the back!" Eruptor argued.

"Yeah… after annoying me when I was having my breakfast in peace!" I barked back. Ancestors, this guy is seriously not planning the victim card here…

Stealth Elf then suddenly teleported in between the two of us, spreading her arms out in a defensive way. Not that I was going to attack him or anything… "That's enough, you two!" She shouted before turning towards Eruptor. "You heard what Master Eon said, one more incident and you're out!"

"Let's not forget that Spyro saved the Guardians from Malefor…" Jet-Vac chimed in, standing proud with his hands behind his back. "So you'll be facing Ignitus as well."

"Oh please, Spyro did not save the Guardians…" Eruptor spat. Um, what? Is he seriously that thick?

"Uh, yes I did..."

Eruptor scoffed. "Are you kidding me? You couldn't even defeat Toasty to save your life!" He mocked. However this didn't bother me whatsoever since I killed Gnasty Gnorc a few days ago. Of course, I wasn't going to tell Eruptor that otherwise he'll think I'm lying.

"Ok then… how do you explain my absence for the past few days?" I questioned.

"I dunno…" Eruptor shrugged. "I couldn't care less about what you get up to…" He then grumbled.

I rolled my eyes once again… unbelievable. Why was I still arguing with this guy? There are much bigger problems out there than just a petty rivalry! Cynder's gone, Malefor is still out there doing who knows what and I'm sitting here arguing whether I actually saved the Guardians or not. I didn't care that Eruptor couldn't see the truth, I_ know _that I saved the Guardians and that was all that mattered. That didn't stop me from feeling angry though…

I put the leftover chicken scraps in the basket and decided to walk off with no explanation. I couldn't take any of Eruptor's bullshit for much longer…

Eruptor and the other Skylanders all turned in confusion as I suddenly started to leave, expecting me to at least fight back verbally or physically. "Hey, where do you think you're going!?" Eruptor called out. "We're not finished here!"

I halted in my tracks, dropped my basket from my maw and turned towards Eruptor. "Well I am…" I said before shaking my head disapprovingly. "You're just not worth it anymore, Eruptor…"

With that, I picked up the basket in my maw and stormed off to the Temple with Sparx closely following behind. What I didn't see was the confused and flabbergasted looks that the Skylanders exchanged with one another.

**() **

After throwing away the chicken scraps, I proceeded back to my room where I slammed the door hard behind me which caused the room to shake slightly. I was still pissed about what happened with Eruptor and I. Urgh, the nerve on that guy… thinking that I wasn't capable of rescuing the Guardians. What does he know anyway? The only thing he's done is take down a floating broccoli guy or a man with a freaking puppet once every three weeks, I'm not even sure that he's done that on his own either…

As I paced angrily from one end to the other, Sparx flew in my eyeline and quietly moved his arms which meant he was telling me to calm down.

"Calm down!?" I snapped. "Did you hear what he said!? 'I couldn't defeat Toasty to save my life'... well guess what? Neither can he!" I started to vent.

Sparx then frowned and zapped me in between the eyes, stopping me from saying anything else as I blinked in utter confusion. I shook my head slightly and glared at Sparx but before I could roast the dragonfly, Sparx instantly backed away and quickly explained himself. He mentioned that Eruptor wasn't worth getting angry at, just as I said before.

I took a deep breath and looked at Sparx sympathetically. "I know, Sparx… he just chaps my scales so much!" I said, claws digging into the stone floor in anger.

Sparx flew closer to my eyeline and reminded me of what Ignitus said the last time Eruptor and I butted heads, about how retaliating will let the bullies win. Sparx then added that bottling up all this anger will just make things worse for me and the Skylanders.

I rubbed my eyes, my vision becoming slightly blurry from how hard I was rubbing them. "I need some time alone…" I muttered quietly. "Sparx, could you give me five minutes?" I politely asked the dragonfly, eyes quickly darting towards my bedside table.

Sparx took a deep sigh as to say "Again?" but eventually nodded slowly and flew out of the room, leaving me alone. Once Sparx was out of sight, I jumped onto my bed and leaned over to my bedside table where I opened it up to reveal a freshly polished platinum metal choker.

Cynder's choker…

I picked up Cynder's choker and gazed at it for a while, reminiscing about the good times that Cynder and I had while caressing the metal with a thumb before putting it down on the bed.

"Hey Cynder…" I murmured.

The choker, as expected, didn't reply. I took a deep sigh.

"First off, I'm good… I'm still safe and sound in the Valley, no enemies have attacked yet so that's a positive I guess." I assured. "But today was really dull… again. The Skylanders finally found me after almost a week of avoiding them. Apparently Eruptor thinks I didn't save the Guardians, can you believe that? What rubbish…"

I snorted with frustration. "What did I do to deserve this anyway? Why don't they like me? Was it because I didn't want to join their little club? Was it because I was a purple dragon? I just can't see why… it just confuses me…" I rambled, the frustration building more and more.

I sighed yet again, venting all the frustration out, and sat there in silence. I know it was odd talking to Cynder's choker and probably would get laughed out of the Valley if anyone found out… but it keeps me calm and happy, as if she was actually there sitting in front of me.

"So… um… I had this really weird dream about you last night." I awkwardly brought up. "I was in a white space full of nothingness, having no idea where and when I was... and then I saw you. Seeing you always put a smile on my face. However when I went up to you, you were unresponsive at first but then you suddenly got really angry at me… you were accusing me of failing to save you from your dad… and that's when you-"

I stopped, unable to say anything as tears welled up as I thought about the dream more and more "... That's when you turned into…"

I took a deep breath to stop myself from crying, wiping tears from my eyes. "I just… really miss you, Cynder. I never realised how boring and repetitive my life was for the past thirteen years… wake up, burn some sheep, get breakfast, do nothing for the rest of the day… I always thought being on your own would be always living the dream…" I whimpered, grasping the choker in my paws. "But now...? I need you Cynder, more than ever now… I promise that I will find you, whatever it takes…"

I pressed my forehead against the cold steel of Cynder's choker, letting the tears flow freely. "I love you…" I whispered before softly bursting into tears, quiet sobs filling my room.

Then somebody quietly knocked at my door, I knew it wasn't Sparx since he didn't have any knuckles… or hands for that matter. Great… who wants to bother me now!? What part of being alone does no one understand!?

As the knocking continued for a second time, I gently placed Cynder's choker back in my drawer and frantically wiped my face to hide the fact that I was crying. "G-go away!" I sniffed.

"Spyro… it's me." The voice of Ignitus calmly assured. "May I come in?" He then requested.

Ignitus...? What's he doing here?

I thought about it for a moment. Man, I could really use some words of wisdom right now… well just any words at this point.

"Come in…" I muttered.

The door slowly creaked open as Ignitus popped his massive head through it, allowing Sparx to zip through the large gap in the door. Ignitus soon was able to barely squeeze through the door, his wings being the main problem since they had gotten caught on top of the door. However he didn't take him long to untangle himself and eventually made his way opposite towards me, sitting quietly on his haunches.

Ignitus slightly tilted his head in concern. "You've been crying, young dragon…"

I turned my head so that Ignitus couldn't see my blotched eyes. "N-no I wasn't!" I lied, my snivelling automatically giving it away. "I was just… uh, sweating through my eyes…"

Ignitus frowned and raised an eyebrow. "Spyro, I've raised you for thirteen years… I know when something's up. Now what seems to be the matter?"

I sighed, knowing that I can't lie anymore. I paused for a second before answering him. "It's just that… I failed."

"Failed?" Ignitus wondered. "I don't quite understand… You saved all of the Guardians, didn't you?"

"I did… but I didn't exactly do it on my own..." I pointed out.

Ignitus nodded his head. "Yes, I heard about a black dragoness accompanying you from the others. The adopted daughter of Malefor, right?"

"Yeah…" I said as I lowered my head in sadness at the mere mention of Cynder.

"From what Volteer and Terrador told me… you seem quite attached to this black dragoness, am I right?" Ignitus wondered.

I sighed. "I can't stop thinking about her, Ignitus, she means everything to me... I'm in love with her…" I finally admitted out loud. It felt good to tell someone that wasn't going to take the mickey out of me for saying so. Ignitus actually understood as if he went through it before. "She was my other half… and now because of me, she's gone…"

"It wasn't your fault, Spyro…"

"It felt like it!" I barked, slightly raising my voice. "If I didn't fight Malefor then Cynder wouldn't have given herself up…"

'But… if young Cynder didn't give herself up then you would've died." Ignitus said softly. "It sounds to me that she was trying to protect you…"

Protect me...? I never thought about it like that… Why didn't I realise that until now? Of course, I was too busy moping around over losing Cynder rather than thinking about _why _she did it… ancestors, some things can just go over my head sometimes.

But still… why did she choose to give herself up? She had other options, why give herself to Malefor to suffer a worse fate than death… it just boggles my mind, among other questions.

How could I trust Cynder so easily when I first met her… it was like love at first sight but love doesn't work that way, well not in real life anyway. So how come I was so smitten by Cynder from the very start?

"You and Cynder share more in common than you think…" Ignitus trailed off suddenly, somehow reading my mind. "You two were born in the same clutch of eggs after all…" He then revealed.

I blinked a couple of times and frowned in confusion. Wait, what? What did he just say?

"She was born… in the same clutch as me?" I questioned, still just trying to grasp the reality of this situation. "You must know her real parents then!" I then exclaimed excitedly.

"Sadly, young dragon… I don't…" Ignitus muttered as he looked at me gloomily, shaking his head at a sad pace. "I found Cynder's egg on the front porch one rainy night while I was tending to the other eggs… cold and abandoned. Her parents were nowhere to be seen, I assumed they either didn't want her or perhaps they were too young to raise her…"

"That's horrible… why would they do that?" I asked, a hint of anger in my voice. Why would a parent abandon their kid like that? If it wasn't for them then Cynder wouldn't have been raised by Malefor, she would've lived here… but would she be the same dragoness that I fell in love with if she lived in the Artisan Valley?

"I'm not sure…" Ignitus shrugged. "All I know about black dragons is that they're incredibly rare but not as rare as a purple dragon. What makes them rare is the unique ability to wield two elements, a Dark element and a Light element… usually the same elements as their parents."

"Is that why Malefor stole her?"

"Perhaps… but I'm not sure."

I immediately dropped down from my bed and headed to the door. "Then we have to find her!" I said confidently, turning towards Ignitus. "The Valley is where she belongs!"

Before I could open the door, Ignitus rushed beside me and gently stopped me from moving with his paw. "Patience, young dragon… a warrior doesn't rush into battle, we have to formulate a plan. First, we've got to find out where she's being kept…"

"But that'll take too long! We need to find her now!" I growled, squirming to get past Ignitus' paw. I can't just sit around plotting out who goes where while Cynder's life is in danger!

Ignitus then looked mournfully at me, as if he saw someone else right through me. He then turned his head away from me and chuckled slightly. "You remind me so much of someone I knew once…"

I stopped squirming around and looked up to him, confused as to why he was bringing something like that up all of a sudden. "Really...? Who?" I questioned.

Ignitus sighed. "Her name was Glacia…" He slowly started to explain. "She was born the same year as me and the rest of the Guardians. Like you, she was mischievous, playful and had a tendency to annoy the local wildlife… traits not common amongst ice dragons."

"Did you know her well?"

"Yes, but not at first…" Ignitus nodded. "Before I knew her, she kept herself distant from everyone. She would try and make friends with some of the other dragons but they were… let's just say… overwhelmed by her personality."

I raised an eyebrow. "But you weren't, I'm guessing?"

"You guessed correctly, Spyro." Ignitus replied. "I found her crying under a tree one day… all the failed attempts to make friends had finally got to her. I felt sorry for her… so I did the one thing that no one would ever do, I went up and comforted her…" He continued to explain. "She was ultimately shy at first, despite her outgoing personality. First time we talked… she had no idea what to say, she was mumbling all over the place!"

I chuckled at the thought of Glacia struggling to say anything in front of Ignitus. The first time I actually laughed in awhile. "So you and Glacia became friends then?"

Ignitus smirked. "More than that. I married her."

I widened my eyes in utter surprise. Ignitus had a mate!? Why didn't he mention her before!? In fact, why hasn't anyone else mentioned her before? An ice dragoness that wasn't like any other ice dragons wouldn't be easily forgotten.

"But-? How-?" I stammered as I struggled to form any more questions.

"As our friendship grew, we started to share a mutual love for one another…" Ignitus explained further. "But we didn't realise this until we were teenagers…"

"So what happened to her?" I continued to bombard Ignitus with more questions. "How come you never mentioned her before?"

Ignitus then looked at the ground in the same mournful way as before. "She died, Spyro… few months before you hatched." He said sadly. "Malefor's forces were attacking the electric dragons at Concurrent Skies. Glacia went to help… but she never returned."

My face fell, full of regret asking Ignitus of what happened to her. "Ignitus… I'm sorry, I didn't know…"

"It's okay, Spyro…" Ignitus murmured. "Glacia wouldn't want me to mope around the Valley for the rest of my life… she would've wanted me to carry on."

Ignitus then looked down towards his locket that had the fire emblem engraved on it. He clutched it in one of his paws and opened it, which surprised me. He then took out a folded up piece of paper, stained yellow with age.

"This is her here…" Ignitus said as he handed the piece of paper to me. "She got it done at a passing carnival a month after we officially got together."

I looked at Ignitus curiously before carefully unfolding the piece of paper. What was revealed was a beautifully detailed painting of Glacia, sitting on her haunches with a cheeky grin on her face.

Since Glacia was an ice dragon, she of course had light blue scales with a white underbelly. A splash of white was imprinted around her scales on her back, the top of her forelegs and hind legs as well as the top of her head. What caught my eye was the fact that she had amethyst eyes rather than the usual blue eyes that most ice dragons have. The painting had her depicted as a couple of years older than me so she didn't have the feminine qualities such as the long neck and a leaner body yet.

What also interested me was how similar Glacia looked compared to me. Like if I was looking at an alternate female version of me. Along with the purple eyes, she had two white horns which were curved at the tip just like mine. Even her tailblade was exactly like mine, down to the spiral pattern that snaked around the egg-shaped tailblade.

How odd…

"Keeps her close…" Ignitus mumbled. "To remind me of the good memories of our times together…"

"Memories…?"

_Memories. _

Of course that's it! Why didn't I think of that sooner?

"Ignitus, does the Pool of Visions still work?" I wondered, an idea forming in my head as I handed the painting of Glacia back to Ignitus.

"Yes, of course." Ignitus replied, both eyebrows raising. "What are you thinking?"

I smirked. "I think I know how to find Cynder…"

**() **

I hastily rushed out of my room and sprinted off towards the room where the Pool of Visions was located, Sparx and Ignitus trailing behind. Before I left to find the Guardians, Ignitus had mentioned that he was able to know where they were being held through their memories, thoughts and dreams. Maybe we can find Cynder to see where Malefor was keeping her… that's if Malefor didn't put a mental block on her thoughts.

As we arrived in the Pool of Visions, Sparx flew in front of me as he breathlessly tried to ask what the rush was all about.

"You see in a minute, Sparx…" I responded before turning to Ignitus. "Ignitus, do you think you can find Cynder through the Pool?" I wondered. I really hope this works…

"I should be able to… but I need to paint a picture of what she looks like in order to lock on to her thoughts." Ignitus answered, walking towards the Pool and gazing into the swallow water. "Describe her for me… what does she look like?"

I immediately blushed as thoughts of Cynder's appearance flooded through my mind. Oh man, where do I even begin? "First off, she's totally hot…" I said suddenly as the thought entered my mind.

"Spyro, focus…" Ignitus grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Sorry, sorry!" I quickly apologised, my blush deepening. I shook my head to shake any inappropriate thoughts and kept my mind on the Pool. "Okay, okay… she has black scales, a reddish underbelly, six white horns, emerald green eyes that I get lost in every single time I look into them…" I began to list.

"Spyro…"

"Sorry... uh, she has a tailblade that shaped like a blade and…" I continued to describe Cynder, pausing for a moment. "Oh! She has these cool patterns under her eyes as well as the top of her head and on her shoulders…"

Ignitus soon closed his eyes, trying his best to lock onto Cynder's thoughts. Come on, come on… please work, this _has _to work!

"But that's not possible…" Ignitus muttered in horror, eyes still firmly closed.

"What's wrong? What's not possible?" I questioned, getting increasingly panicky.

Ignitus opened his eyes and looked directly at me. "I found her… she's at the Mountain of Malefor, not far from the city of Warfang…"

"Near the city of Warfang, got it…" I nodded, heading out of the Pool of Visions Room.

"No, Spyro… you don't understand." Ignitus quickly said, stopping me in my tracks. "The Mountain of Malefor was destroyed a long time ago, this could a trick set by Malefor himself."

"Trick or not, the only thing that matters right now is to rescue Cynder…"

"You are likely heading into a trap, young dragon…" Ignitus warned.

"I don't care!" I snapped. "I can't just leave Cynder in that place! She needs me…"

Ignitus was silent for a moment but he ultimately sighed and nodded his head slowly. "Okay, okay, Spyro, you're right… but I can't let you go on our own." He said. I frowned in annoyance. Seriously, he's still not letting me go!?

"You're going to need some help…" Ignitus continued.

Help? What did he mean by that?

"Hugo!" He then barked loudly. I don't know how much help Hugo is going be against Malefor, he'll just run away at the first sight of him…

The mole soon enough came bumbling into the room, constantly tripping over nothing and adjusting his glasses. "Yes, Ignitus?" He panted, lost for breath.

"Gather every dragon, mole and cheetah that's willing to fight and tell them to meet in the Portal Room." Ignitus ordered. "It's time we take the fight to Malefor…"

"And the Skylanders? Should I summon them as well?" Hugo asked.

Ignitus took a brief glance at me then looked back at Hugo. "No." He replied. "They'll need to stay in the Valley… just in case. Now go!"

"Right away, Ignitus!" Hugo exclaimed before he ran off to follow Ignitus' orders, doing the same 'tripping over himself' routine he always does.

Ignitus is bringing an army to fight Malefor? Is this really happening?

"Come, young dragon…" Ignitus said as he headed out of the Pool of Visions Room.

I nodded confidently and followed closely behind him. Time to make this son of a bitch pay… For Cynder and the rest of the realms.

**() **

As Ignitus, Sparx and I walked down the corridor, lots of questions and worries lingered through my mind. As much as I tried to get rid of them, they would always come back.

What if we don't get there in time and Cynder would already be dead? What if Malefor anticipates this whole plan and slaughters us on the spot as soon as we exit the Portal?

I am not ready for this… I don't belong in an army. 'Spyro' and 'army' don't mix together well, that's a known fact!

But if I don't go ahead with this then Cynder will forever be lost… I can't let that happen! I refuse to give up on her!

Once we got to the Portal Room… boy, was I in for a surprise.

A couple of hundred or so dragons, moles and cheetahs including Volteer, Terrador, Cyril and most if not all of the Dragon Elders had gathered around the Portal Room, giving Ignitus and I room to walk straight towards the Warfang Portal. All the cheetahs worn leather armour that only covered their chests and one of their shoulders, bow and arrows slung across their backs. The moles wore smooth golden armour with a golden helmet that looked like it was a little too big for them. Meanwhile the dragons wore no armour whatsoever, I guess they had their tough hides to protect them… but I could've sworn they wore armour before.

Were they all here to help _me_? But I thought some of them couldn't _tolerate _me…

"Listen to me, Spyro…" Ignitus hissed in my ear. "I don't want you to engage Malefor on your own. Your job is to get Cynder and go… let us take care of the rest."

"You got it, Ignitus…" I said. Trust me, taking on Malefor is the last thing I want to do.

Ignitus then turned to face everyone. "Listen everyone! Malefor has taken one of our own and it's time we take the fight to him! I guarantee that Malefor's reign of tyranny will end this day. Once we step into this portal… there's no turning back!" He spoke confidently and loudly so that everyone from the back could hear him. "Everyone still with me?" He then wondered.

The Artisan Army responded by lifting their weapons and yelling in agreement.

"Follow me into battle!" Ignitus commanded before entering through the Portal.

Before the rest of the army could enter the portal, I jumped in pursuit of Ignitus into the swirly patterned portal that was all too familiar to me.

Stay safe, Cynder… I'm coming.

**Woo, finally finished! Only two chapters to go! **

**Now that we're down 10 chapters, I would like thank everyone for reviewing, favoriting and following this story so far. We're so close to the end, guys! **

**I would also like to give a shout out to IllusionMaster17 for reviewing every single chapter from the very beginning. Thanks so much, dude! **

**So anyway… since I won't be seeing you till next year, here's what's coming soon to 2020: Convergence (Doctor Who/Marvel/Scooby-Doo) and Eternal Darkness (Avengers/Spyro) and possibly the start of my adaptation of Infinity War. **

**Yeah, there's not a lot planned than previous years but since I want to focus on one story at a time… it'll be a little bit harder for more stories to come out. At least I can promise that these stories will actually be published this time!**

**As for my old stories, I don't know what to do with those yet. Let's just say they're on indefinite hiatus until further notice. **

**This is TARDIS1039, wishing a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! **_**Allons-y!**_


	11. We Are The Champions (Part 1)

**Welcome back everyone! To this story **_**and**_** a brand new decade! Last time (or last year haha), we flash forwarded a week after Cynder gave up her freedom and we see that Spyro wasn't doing so well emotional wise, to the point where the only thing that was kept him happy was talking to Cynder's choker. **

**Now after finding out where Cynder is being kept, Spyro, Sparx, Ignitus and the rest of the Guardians as well as an army of Artisan villagers march towards to the Mountain of Malefor to save her. **

**Only two chapters to go… I wonder what's going to happen? Let's find out, shall we?**

**(Chapter 11: We Are The Champions, Part 1) **

_The final battle begins… _

**(SPYRO's POV) **

As home drifted further and further away, something new appeared before my very eyes. I landed on the ground firmly, feeling the cool grass on my paws as a small breeze slightly pushed my frill to the side.

As I looked around, I felt uneasy. Something was different about this place… it wasn't like any world I stepped in before…

We arrived in a forest, full of luscious green grass and thin long trees that made exploring just that little bit more difficult. It overlooked a massive clearing below, stuck between a large city and an enormous mountain which were miles and miles apart from each other. The city itself had a nice golden shine to it, a pure white brick wall preventing me from seeing the wonders that the city held. The only thing I could see was cylindrical towers poking out, semi-circle domes covering the top of each and every one of them.

The mountain meanwhile, spoke for itself. It was like every other mountain I've seen, tall and rocky. However, there were spikes pointing in all directions throughout the mountain, indicating that this wasn't a friendly ridge. The tip of the mountain appeared to broken off by a round object of some kind, leaving the top of the mountain looking like a giant mouth. I wonder what broke the tip? A large cannonball perhaps?

Besides from the mountain, everything looked beautiful. The sun setting on the hills made the land below have a nice yellowy orange glow to it. Sad that this view won't last for long… especially with what's about to happen.

"That's the city of Warfang…" Ignitus said, appearing beside me suddenly. "It's where you were before we had to evacuate."

"It's beautiful…" I muttered, gazing at the city before turning to Ignitus. "Do dragons still live there?"

"Yes. It took awhile for the city to rebuild itself after Malefor's forces attacked it…" Ignitus nodded, lowering his head sadly. "I felt reluctant to leave at first… Warfang was where the Guardians and I grew up after all. But I knew that the eggs that survived wouldn't be safe if we stayed."

I stayed silent. I could sort of feel what Ignitus was feeling. I certainly felt uneasy about leaving everything behind to find the Guardians. But now, I'm glad that I did otherwise the Guardians would still be in Malefor's clutches… and I wouldn't have met Cynder.

"You mentioned a mountain before…" I said, changing the subject and pointing towards the mountain that I saw before. "Is that it there?"

"Unfortunately so, young dragon…" Ignitus answered grimly.

"But… why is it so close to the city?"

"Because it wasn't originally Malefor's mountain…" Ignitus replied. "It only became the Mountain of Malefor during his exile… years of isolation and hatred for the elder dragons that sent him there drove him to become the Dark Master we know now."

That's why something felt off about this place. I surveyed my surroundings, peering at the dilapidated remains of burnt cobblestone and the smell of rotting flesh. I could feel Malefor's hatred spilling into the atmosphere, it was like a plague. A silent plague. And that's where Cynder lived for thirteen years… what an eerie place to grow up in…

"So what's the plan, Ignitus?" Terrador questioned. "Malefor would certainly be expecting us."

"And that's we want," Ignitus said, turning to him. "We need to draw Malefor out, give Spyro enough time to get inside his fortress."

"Draw Malefor out?! Are you insane, Ignitus?!" Cyril exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"It's suicide. We'll be killed, massacred, slaughtered, exterminated for sure!" Volteer stammered.

"Not if we work together," Ignitus said calmly. "He has four elements, we have four elements. We should be able to keep him busy for a while."

"Yes, but we won't be able to overcome the other elements he possesses!" Cyril argued. "Only a purple dragon can defeat him, everyone knows that!"

"But Spyro's not ready yet…"

"Ready or not, Malefor will find him eventually." Terrador darkly pointed out.

Ok… I don't know about you but that just made my scales shiver. Is this how my life is going to be now? A constant target behind my back? Will I need to frequently look behind me to see if he hasn't snuck up to attack me?

No, that's not going to happen! We're going to stop Malefor. He's not going to bother anyone anymore!

"Until that happens, we stick with the plan," Ignitus continued before turning to me. "Spyro, listen to me. Head to the mountain, enter Malefor's fortress, find Cynder and go straight back to the Valley. Think you can do that?"

Head straight to the Valley? And leave everyone behind? I couldn't believe I was going through with this. But if it meant that Cynder was going to safe from her father's clutches, then maybe it's the best idea we have right now.

I reluctantly nodded.

"To find Cynder, I'll do anything…"

"Good. Now make haste, young dragon, before Malefor senses your presence here," Ignitus suggested, slightly lowering his head so that he could look at me directly.

"You can count on me, Ignitus," I said confidently. "Come on, Sparx!" I gestured to Sparx.

Sparx and I sprinted deep into the forest, heading in the direction towards the Mountain of Malefor. Sparx reluctantly trailed behind me, shaking his head slowly and muttering to himself.

"Why? Why am I going along with this?"

"May the Ancestors look after you!" I heard the voice of Ignitus shout out in the distance as I edged further away from him.

At this point, may the Ancestors look after us _all_…

**() **

Sparx and I traversed our way towards the Mountain of Malefor via the forest. Since the trees that surrounded were thicker than a Gnorc's brain, I had no idea if I was still going the right way or not. Judging from the brief glimpses I could see of the mountain to my left however, It looks like I didn't need to worry.

Once I realised that I was close enough to the mountain, I diverted towards the left towards the edge of the forest as the trees started to thin out and spread more widely across the hillside that the forest was planted on.

I scanned the entire mountain for an entrance to Malefor's fortress, every crack, hole and small dip I looked at came up with nothing. I started to growl in frustration as the Artisan Army slowly marched down the hill, cautiously making their way towards the mountain. Urgh, where's the entrance!? It shouldn't be hard to find! There better not be some secret entrance that only appears at the last moon of autumn or something… cause that would suck and I don't think everyone is willing to wait that long if that was the case, especially since there are dangerously close to Malefor's territory.

Think, Spyro, think… If I was a big, scary version of myself and had a mountain as a lair then where would I emerge from? Preferably some place to intimidate my enemy right?

No matter how I much thought about it, still nothing was coming to mind. Come on, Spyro, everyone's depending on you. Ignitus is depending on you. _Cynder _is depending on you and you're letting them down by staring blankly at a freaking mountain!

It was then that Sparx started to lightly tap the side of my head to gain my attention. Thinking that he was simply annoying me because he was bored, I batted him away with my paw as I focused more on the mountain.

"Not now, Sparx… Can't you see I'm busy?" I muttered, not taking my eyes away from the mountain.

I heard Sparx snort in frustration and grumble a few things under his breath. Then suddenly I felt a massive stinging pain near my cheek, causing me to dart my head around to see where it came from before setting my eyes on the yellow dragonfly with a scowl on my face. Ancestors, he needs to stop zapping me to grab my attention… it's going to get old quick.

"Sparx, what is so important that you have to zap me!?" I growled, rubbing my cheek in annoyance.

Sparx frowned and angrily pointed to the mountain, particularly to the tip of it.

I blinked. "I don't understand what you're trying to say…" I said, not having a single clue what Sparx was doing.

Sparx groaned and zapped me yet again, this time on my forehead. Okay, he was going too far this time. One time was okay but a second time? Not okay. "Stop zapping me!" I roared, teeth bared.

Sparx flew closer to my eyeline and frantically pointed towards the mountain, desperately trying to make me understand what he was saying. But unfortunately for him, I still wasn't getting it.

"Yeah, I know it's the mountain…" I said in an irritated tone. "I still don't understand what you're trying to tell me here."

With a heavy sigh, Sparx face-palmed and slowly trailed his limb down his face. He was clearly getting as frustrated as I was. He then roughly grabbed my snout and forcibly move my head towards the mountain, pointing towards the tip of the mountain at a speed which made his limbs blur out of sight.

I took another glance at the mountain, focusing only on the tip of the mountain. As I looked at how open it was, what Sparx was trying to say finally hit me.

Ancestors, I can be stupid sometimes? Why didn't I realise that sooner!?

"Ohhhh… I get it now." I said in realisation, turning to Sparx. "Why didn't you say that sooner, Sparx?" I then wondered.

Sparx's eyes widened and his jaw opened slightly, looking oddly offended at my question. Ultimately, he sighed and mumbled that we should keep moving. Well in my defense, all he was doing was pointing at the mountain… he wasn't being clear enough!

Now knowing where I was going, I jumped off the hillside without any hesitation and began a slow and steady glide towards the mountain. The air felt lighter as I got closer and closer, I couldn't help but feel a sense of mugginess in the air… as if it had been raining. But was that unlikely since it didn't look like it had been raining in both the forest nor Warfang and I certainly didn't feel my paws getting wet from any wet grass. However Cynder did mention how her home was cold, damp and creepy… so maybe this sunshine didn't happen as much as I thought.

I landed near the very edge of the mountain, feeling the ash-covered rocks crumbling under my paws. As I landed, I slightly slipped as my paws touched the ground which caused several rocks to slide down the mountain but thankfully it wasn't enough to cause a rockslide.

After landing, I then curiously wandered over to the tip of the mountain where I cautiously peeked to what was inside the mountain. To my surprise, I couldn't see anything… all I could see was a dark grey storm cloud that fully covered the hollow interior of the mountain. The cloud occasionally made the odd booming sound of thunder every now and then with an almost blinding crack of lightning happening soon after.

Curious… very curious.

Once Sparx saw the storm cloud, he immediately started to turn away and quickly buzzed out "There's no way I'm going in there! You can't make me!"

"But Cynder's down there… we can't turn back now." I argued, turning towards Sparx.

Sparx blinked a couple of times and shook his head, as if what I said was crazy. "Do you seriously want to die in a storm cloud over some girl!?" He exclaimed through multiple buzzes.

"If that girl is Cynder... then yes." I replied automatically with a smirk.

Before Sparx could counter-argue, a massive earthquake erupted out of nowhere. It was so strong that I could barely stop myself from sliding down if it wasn't for my claws digging deep into the dirt below.

But what was odd that it didn't seem to affect the Artisan Army below since they were still in their battle positions, unfazed by the earthquake that just occurred. But how could that be possible? That earthquake was so strong, you could've felt it in another realm. Maybe it was the mountain? Maybe it wasn't a mountain but a volcano? But even then, I don't think Malefor was dumb enough to build his fortress over hot, boiling lava. However he sure would be _crazy_ enough to do that…

Unless…

_Oh shit… _

A horde of strange creatures emerged from the mountain, the stormcloud being moulded around so that they could pass. These strange creatures looked like they were made from the very earth itself, brown grass wrapping around their bony structures as well as covering their faces. Except for their eyes which lit up a bright red, but in some lighting you could argue that they had a slight orange tint to it. There were many variations of this creature: small ones, big ones and ones that looked that enormous flies. There were… so many of them.

My guess? These were the Grublins, the only enemies I haven't encountered yet.

"Get down!" I exclaimed to Sparx as a collection of Gnorcs and Apes marched out of the mountain after the Grublins, scurrying out of sight and crouching down to avoid being spotted.

It was a good thing that I ducked down when I did otherwise this mission would end a lot sooner than I wanted it to…

Malefor soon slowly emerged from underneath the stormcloud like a phantom, his stern yet emotionless expression telling me everything that he was thinking. Kill them all... that's all that's going on in that massive purple head of his. At the mere sight of the Dark Master, my blood started to boil… I could just defeat him right now, he won't see me coming. Defeat the Dark Master and the rest will go running… then Cynder and everyone else will be safe.

I took a silent deep breath to calm my thoughts down. Hold your horses, Spyro… that was not the plan. The plan is to get Cynder and go… that's it. Let the Guardians handle Malefor… well, at least, try to handle him anyway…

Sparx and I started to carefully shuffle towards the back of the mountain, going at a snail's pace so that I could keep an eye on Malefor at all times. Sparx meanwhile flew quite low to the surface of the mountain so that he couldn't be seen if Malefor turned around. My heart started to beat at a fast pace, the combination of sneaking around and Malefor lingering in front of me made me feel really tense… it was like I was in a movie. No idea what movie that could be but you get the idea.

Unfortunately I had to slightly move my back leg at the very moment Malefor came out of the mountain. As I adjusted my back leg, the rocks underneath decided to fall further down the mountain which caused a tiny rockslide to occur. It was loud enough for Malefor to suspiciously dart his head around the minute he heard the rockslide. I quickly ducked my head down so that Malefor couldn't see my horns, sweating nervously from the tension and utter panic. Don't come over, don't come over, don't come over!

"Sparx, can you see what he's doing?" I hissed.

Sparx nodded and flew above where he and I were hiding. There was a little bit of worry plastered on the dragonfly's face… he had every right to be, Malefor was one scary dragon especially for someone of his size.

Where was Malefor!? What was he doing!? Has he seen us yet!? Say something, Sparx… say anything!

But soon a sense of relief came over Sparx, the immediate sense of terror being erased from his face. He then sighed and looked down towards me, giving me the all clear. Now it was my time to do a sigh of relief… thank the ancestors, that could've been a _lot _worse.

Before Malefor could return, I scrambled to my paws and quickly trotted to the edge of the mountain. I curiously examined the stormcloud, hopefully to see what was below it… if there _was_ anything below it anyway. How did Malefor get up there without flying? How was his army able to march to the top of the mountain without any wings? It didn't make sense! It had to be magic, right!?

Suddenly a light-bulb metaphorically appeared over my head… what if it wasn't?

Cautiously I leaned over the edge of the mountain, my front paw instantly passing through the stormcloud with no resistance. Despite being just air, it felt very cold and very wet on my foreleg… what else do you expect from a stormcloud? But as I reached further down, the cloud started to feel more… solid… and rocky. It wasn't like the terrain I was standing on, it felt smoother for some strange reason… how odd.

"There's something underneath this cloud…" I muttered, pulling my foreleg out of the stormcloud.

"Yeah… the bottom of the mountain." Sparx said, trying to sound serious through a variety of buzzes.

I frowned annoyingly at his response. "No, there's something literally underneath the cloud…" I corrected. "But I can't tell what it is." I said, stroking my chin.

There was only one way to find out. I slowly moved my foreleg back into the stormcloud, placing my paw firmly on the cold stone underneath. After a few seconds of hesitation, I start to move my other foreleg into the stormcloud so that one half of my body was nice and dry at the back while soaking wet in the front. So far, so good…

Knowing that what was underneath the stormcloud was indeed solid, my two back legs quickly followed suit which left my head poking out with nothing attached it. Sparx gave me a confused look and tilted his head to the right slightly, asking me what was underneath the cloud. I didn't give him a response as I ducked my head underneath, feeling the cold and muggy air on my muzzle. It felt like I was walking through a combination of rain and wind, a combination that's never pleasant in any shape or form. That same feeling didn't disappear as I expected it to when I surfaced from under the cloud.

As I thought, it was raining inside the mountain but I couldn't exactly see what was beyond the ramp I was standing on. The ramp looked like it was handmade, dozens and dozens of grey stone slabs stuck together like glue… I couldn't even begin to figure out how long it took to build the damn thing but judging from how big and wide the ramp was, it was probably a long time.

Still not knowing what was beyond the ramp, I quickly resurfaced to the top of the cloud where Sparx gave me an enigmatic look. He flew towards me and gave me a few questioning buzzes.

"It's like a storm down there… strong winds and a huge amount of rain." I explained to Sparx, rubbing my eyes to dry off the rainwater that blew into them. "There was a ramp but I couldn't see beyond it…"

Sparx's eye twitched when I mentioned how strong the winds were. Since he was a dragonfly, his wings won't be able to cope with the weather inside the mountain. You would have to be a wind dragon or just plain stupid to be able to fly under there.

"You're going to have to hold on tight to one of my horns…" I said to Sparx, noticing his concern. "There's no way you'll be able to navigate through those winds on your own…"

Sparx nodded and grasped all of his limbs onto my right horn, crouching down on top of my head so he didn't get pushed by the winds that were about to hit him.

"Ready?" I asked Sparx, looking up to my horn. With a nervous nod from Sparx, I took a deep breath before submerging myself back into the stormcloud to challenge the outrageous winds and torrential rain once again.

Just a step closer to finding Cynder… and bringing her home.

**() **

The storm was just as worse when I was walking down the ramp than just standing at the top. The wind whipped across my face, causing my eyes to squint as tiny drops of rain sprayed onto my face. How does Malefor live with this? Surely he would get annoyed by this, right?

But as I travelled further down, the mist started to dissipate which allowed me to see what the ramp lead towards. It seemed to be a fortress of some kind, carved into the mountain itself. It looked like your typical villain fortress, dark, creepy and sinister. Spikes were present throughout the entire fortress, an obvious tactic to keep creatures out if the weather didn't somehow work. It had a huge prison vibe to it with guard towers and huge stone walls. In the middle where the ramp was leading to was a Malefor-sized door, an engraving of the malevolent dark master himself etched into it.

As I stopped walking, I looked at the fortress in horror. This… this was where Cynder lived all her life? She was stolen from her actual home only to brought up in place? This is why she's never seen the stars or actually been outside in general… I just couldn't believe it, no wonder Cynder ran away…

I cautiously move forward towards the front doors, suspiciously looking around to see if any of Malefor's army had chosen to stay behind. So far, there wasn't any but I shouldn't get my hopes up just yet. All I could hear was the sound of the wind howling in my ears

It became clear that Malefor must be using his entire army against Ignitus and the others. While it did seem like good news to me since I could just grab Cynder and go without any trouble whatsoever but it was actually bad news as Malefor's army outnumber us in more ways than one.

I know I'm not supposed to get involved in this fight but I feel like I kind of need to. Cyril and Ignitus said it themselves, only a purple dragon can defeat Malefor… and the last time I checked, I was a purple dragon. Whether I liked it or not, this was my fight too and I'm prepared to finish it… whatever it takes. But how does one defeat the Dark Master when they've had little-to-no experience in their abilities?

With the storm refusing to back away, I slowly approached the massive stone slabs that were acting as the doors. My eyes rolled between both of the guard towers that were placed next to the doors to see if there were any guards that suddenly appeared out of nowhere… only to find nothing, as usual. Once I knew the coast was clear, I got up onto my hind legs and pushed one of the stone doors with all the strength I could muster. Despite the doors being quite heavy, I managed to open them with relative ease.

Once I got inside the fortress, I began to walk straight down the corridor with Sparx flying close by. The corridor was much larger than the corridors at the Dragon Temple back home, my neck starting to ache as I looked up to the black archways on the ceiling. Only a few torches were placed in certain parts of the corridor, adding to the fact that it was much colder than it was outside. How was that even possible!?

The corridor had led Sparx and I to another corridor that had rooms on the left and right. I looked briefly to the left and immediately elected to go right due to how creepy the left side was. The room on the right was presumably a dining room since a Malefor-sized table was placed in the middle, surrounded by tapestries depicting Malefor reigning terror on the realms. No chairs were present which was normal for dragons as we don't really need them because of how big we get. What else I saw was an enormous stool that was placed on the far side of the table with a bunch of mini-stools acting as a stairwell to get onto the bigger stool. Something tells me that is where Cynder sat when she ate. Yikes, dinner with the Dark Master… now that's something you don't hear everyday.

I continued to look around the dining room, hoping that there was something that could potentially lead me to Cynder. But there was no trace of her, the place looked completely abandoned… if Malefor took Cynder with him then he wouldn't leave any evidence behind. Think, Spyro… if your daughter had run away, where would you put her?

At that moment, my eyes automatically gazed to another door behind me. Unlike most of the other doors in this place, this was more sized for Apes and Gnorcs rather for a dragon of Malefor's size.

Her room. Of course…

Hoping my hunch is correct, I headed over to the smaller wooden door. But before I could push it open, a scurrying noise echoed in the halls of the fortress followed by the sound of something being dragged across the floor. I immediately turned around to face whoever was making that noise only to find nothing. Nothing was behind me… I couldn't be hearing things already.

Sparx lingered over to my horn and asked me in worried sounding buzzes if I heard something.

"Yeah…" I replied suspiciously, still watching every entrance to the dining room to see if the soundmaker would show their face. "Stay close, okay?"

Sparx nodded and kept a watchful eye on the dining room as I pushed the smaller wooden door open. We entered through yet another corridor although this corridor was more creepier than the one I was in before. The walls were built more roughly, the stone blocks stuck out more and it looked like someone was just rushing their craftsmanship. Torches were placed next to old wooden doors but they were dimmer, making the corridor even darker. It also didn't help that there was no window in sight.

The doors looked very plain and didn't tell me much on the outside. Ancestors, how am I supposed to know what door is Cynder's room? That's if she even _has _a room to begin with!

I walked over to a door that was closest to me and attempted to open it. It didn't budge… damn, it's locked. Typical.

"Cynder?" I called out, an echo carrying my voice to the other side of the corridor.

No response. Not a cry, whimper or a shout… come on, she has to be here! Where else could she be!?

"Cynder!?" I called out again, this time louder and more desperate. Come on, please be here…

Silence. Again… but I don't understand why she wasn't here. Where else could've she gone? With Malefor, maybe? If that was true then what the hell am I doing here!?

"Spyro?"

My eyes widened, welling up as I heard that voice again. No… it couldn't be… It sure sounded like Cynder, a little weak but it was definitely her. And she wasn't too far away either.

Without responding back, I quickly raced to the door that her voice came from. The door was located around in the middle of the corridor but not directly in the middle, it was slightly on the left but close enough to the middle. This door looked different than the other doors, it still looked plain and wooden but it had claw marks that had originated from an Ape scattered all over it… particularly around the door knob.

I immediately stepped back a couple of paces from the door and charged at it horns first. The door shattered on impact from my horns, allowing me to barge through. Splinters of wood spread out across the room I entered, where they landed or even I had wood chips sticking into my body was the least of my concerns right now.

The room that I had charged into was bigger than I thought it was going to be. However, it was pretty empty for its size. A raggedy, second hand bed was crammed into the corner as well as a chest that's been placed nearby to where the door was. A dirty and possibly mouldy mirror was opposite to the bed. A tiny window was located between the bed and the mirror, a small wisp of air coming through the reinforced bars of metal.

This is _Cynder's _room…? How did she even cope with these living conditions!? Not even a dragon that wanted to go off-grid from the rest of the realms could live here!

Speaking of Cynder…

Cynder was located in the middle of the room, sitting on her haunches with her eyes widened at the mere sight of me. I wanted to smile but I just couldn't… not when I realised why she sounded so weak earlier.

Cynder was shackled to the wall, the shackles looking more rustic and tighter than the choker and braces that I previously seen her in. The shackles were connected to some sort of green electricity or perhaps magic that flowed to a small green ring behind her. But that wasn't even the worst part. Bruises, scratches, claw marks with dried blood caked around it were present around Cynder's body, her eyes were blotched which told me that she's been crying… recently it seems. One of her eyes looked droopy from lack of sleep or maybe that was because of the black eye she had. She looked… very sad, beaten up as if she been bullied countless times. Only this time, it was all because of her father…

We both locked eyes on each other, everything had gone silent. Tears had started to form in the corner of Cynder's eyes. "Spyro…?" She croaked.

I slowly approached Cynder until I was quite close to her. "Hey, Cynder…" I muttered. I would've been hugging her if it wasn't for her injuries, something inside me just broke at the sight of all the blood and trauma.

"Is it… Is it really you?" Cynder murmured, lifting up a paw towards my cheek to see if I wasn't just a hallucination in her head.

I softly grabbed Cynder's paw and directed it towards my cheek, feeling how cold and clammy her paw was against my face. "Yeah. It's really me…"

At that very moment, I could see Cynder's facial expression change. There was a sense of relief and happiness that completely wiped out all the depression her face shown before. She wasn't hallucinating, I really was right there in front of her.

"Oh, Spyro!" Cynder exclaimed, wrapping her paws around my neck tightly and pulling me in closer. I was initially surprised by the hug but I eventually returned it, closing my eyes and resting my head on her shoulder as tears streamed down my face. I finally found her at last…

"It's good to see you too, Cynder…" I said quietly.

Cynder separated from our hug, a confused look on her face. "But I don't understand… what are you doing here?" She wondered.

I raised an eyebrow. "I came to rescue you obviously!" I answered in a way that felt like I was telling Cynder something she should've realised sooner than she did. "Ignitus and the others are keeping Malefor's army busy so I could bust in here without anyone noticing..."

My face fell immediately and my words slowly faded away as I gazed at Cynder's body once again, my heart shattering into tiny pieces as I looked at every single scratch and bruise that was present. I couldn't believe she went through that pain… If I had known, I would've flown over here straight away.

"Ancestors, Cynder… what happened to you?" I asked Cynder, sorrow in the tone of my voice. Cynder refused to answer, her facial expressions returning to the sad and tired look that I found her in as she looked down at the ground fearfully. "Did your father do this…?" I questioned, not wanting to get the answer that I'm dreading to hear.

Cynder looked back at me and gave me a stern look. "No. Worse…"

"Worse!?" I exclaimed with widened eyes, surprised at Cynder's response. "Who could be worse than Malefor!?"

"It doesn't matter right now, Spyro…" Cynder replied with a serious tone. "Let's just focus on getting out of here."

I nodded. Guess we'll have to worry about this 'Mr-Worse-than-Malefor' later. "Alright, let's get you out of these shackles…" I said.

I grabbed one of the green chains that was connected to a shackle on Cynder's chain, feeling an odd sensation that made it feel like I was touching a cloud or a ghost… a feeling you wouldn't get on your typical chain. I then proceeded to bite into the green chain, my sharp teeth automatically passing through the chain. Odd… what kind of chain is this!?

Cynder sighed and rubbed her eyes in a fed up kind of way. "Spyro, that's not going to work…" She muttered. "There's a-"

"Maybe I can try twisting it…?" I suggested, unaware that I had interrupted Cynder.

"Twist what!? It's magic!" Cynder cried out. "There's a-"

"Well, is there a key or something I can use?" I wondered, interjecting Cynder once again without realising.

Cynder face-palmed and tried so hard not to yell at me. "Spyro, there's literally a key just hanging on the wall over there…" She said calmly, pointing behind me.

I turned to where Cynder was pointing. As she said, a jade green key with two snakes carved into it to form the handle was hanging on a nail on the wall next to the door. I mentally face-palmed… ancestors, I felt stupid.

"Ohhh…"

Cynder rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Dork." She murmured. It's good to know that her spirit hasn't changed much…

I bounded over to the wall where the key was hung from and reached out on my hind legs to grab it with my mouth since it was hung from a height that an Ape can grab it. Once I grabbed the key I headed back towards Cynder, curiously scanning around the area for a keyhole of some kind.

"It's on the ring behind me…" Cynder said, seeing that I was struggling to find the keyhole.

"Oh, right… thanks." I said, my voice being muffled by the key in my maw.

I walked behind Cynder towards the small green that connected all the shackles together. I examined it more closely to find a keyhole that took up the whole width of the ring. I spat the key out of my maw and placed it on my paw, inserting the key into the keyhole and twisting it to the left. As soon as I twisted the key, the green started to fade away from the metal ring which now looked rustic and boring compared to what it was before. The green chains started to disappear as well, shrinking down towards the metal green and completely dissipating once it reached it. After the chains disappeared, the shackles on Cynder's neck and legs broke in half, falling onto the ground with a loud clatter.

Cynder rubbed one of her wrists, red marks from the shackles being imprinted on her scales. "Thanks, Spyro… you wouldn't happen to have any Healing Gems on you by any chance?"

"Uh, I think so…" I replied, turning to Sparx. "Sparx?"

Sparx nodded and managed to fish out a couple of Healing Gems of out of thin air. But oddly as he was grabbing the Gems, a large metal object dropped on the ground. The large clatter it produced cause both Cynder and I to jump in utter shock.

"Is that… my choker?" Cynder wondered.

"Um… yes, it seems to be." I nodded slowly, having just realised that I forgot to take it with me.

"Did you bring it all this way?"

"Uh…" I looked towards Sparx and gave him a 'help me' look, unsure what to do or say next. I couldn't just tell her that I forgot it, she literally gave it to me to remember her. It could break her heart even more. But strangely, Sparx just winked at me… wait, what? Why did he just wink at me? Did he plan this!? I thought he didn't even_ like _Cynder!

Unable to talk to Sparx at the moment, I turned back to Cynder. "Yes… Yes, I did. I totally didn't forget it or anything…" I stammered, chuckling nervously.

Before I could make a fool out of myself even more, Sparx picked up Cynder's choker and dropped it near me. I sat on my haunches, picked up the choker and gestured a thankful look to Sparx before gazing back into Cynder's eyes.

"D-Did you want me to put it on you?" I asked, buckets of sweat slowly dribbling down my scales. Is it even possible for someone to get nervous this quickly?

Cynder gave me a small smile, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks. "If you want, I don't mind…" She answered.

I nodded and placed the choker into my maw, trotting behind Cynder so I could put the choker around her neck in a less awkward way. Once I was behind Cynder, I sat on my haunches and grasped at the connection point that the choker had. I pulled it firmly until the choker separated, the hinge being the only thing keeping the two halves from completely separating. I then wrapped one half of the choker around the front part of Cynder's neck, clicking the other half into place soon after.

"There…" I said, walking back to face Cynder. "Is that better?"

Cynder lowered her head and took a moment to admire the return of her choker before looking back up again. "Much better…"

We both stared into each other's eyes for what seemed to be an eternity. Everything around me suddenly felt so unimportant everytime I looked into her emerald-green eyes. Like nothing else mattered anymore… not the world, even what was going on outside. All that mattered was Cynder and I… just the two of us and nothing more.

"SPYRO!" I heard Cynder shout out.

I snapped out of my entranced state and turned around to see an enormous Ape behind me. Before I could react, the Ape lifted his hand and backhanded me which sent me flying towards the wall. After hitting the wall, I slowly slid down onto Cynder's bed which was considerably lucky for me. The Ape, meanwhile, pointed a metal staff with a green crystal embedded into it at Cynder, sending streams of green electricity through her body causing Cynder's screams to echo eerily in the room.

Who was this guy!? Where did he come from!?

This Ape looked more intimidating and larger than the other Apes I've seen, suggesting that this may be their leader or perhaps an Ape of high authority. He was disgusting, hairy and covered in warts. He only had one eye, the other being a small green jewel that seemed a little big for his eyehole. Several scars ran across his face, mostly likely caused by dragons much larger than Cynder and I. His armour looked like a mix of rustic metal and leather, a purple horned helmet completing the set.

I got up and got into an attack pose, the Ape not being fazed by me whatsoever. "Hey, Warty! Let her go!"

The Ape gave me a cold stare and turned to face me, chuckling evilly as he ceased his attack on Cynder. "The purple whelpling… finally come out of hiding, have we?"

"How did you know where to find me?"

The Ape rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. Your miserable amity for Cynder is your greatest weakness… the Dark Master predicted that you would be the one to rescue her so he ordered me to stay behind and bring any intruders that dare trespass in his fortress." He answered, pointing his staff threateningly at me. "Intruders being you…"

I snickered. "So basically… Malefor left his lackey to look after his house while he's gone?"

The Ape gave me a death stare. "Joke while you can, whelpling…" He growled. "You being here means there's no one to stop the Dark Master from bringing chaos to the realms."

"But I can still stop you…" I pointed out.

"Foolish dragon… you may have defeated Gnasty Gnorc but he was incompentent and hot-tempered. I am a more formidable opponent…" The Ape said, positioning himself for a fight by putting his staff behind his back and replacing it with two large jagged swords.

I smirked. "We'll see about that…"

The Ape growled and lunged towards me, digging his twin swords deep into the stone underneath us. A green shockwave emerged from the impact, which I jumped over easily. I then proceeded to charge towards the enormous Ape, jumping to his height and using my fire element to propel myself and gain extra speed. No idea how I was able to do that so effectively… it just so natural. My horns impacted the Ape's chest and, thanks to the extra power from my fire element, pummelled him to the wall behind him. As the Ape impacted the wall, slight cracks started to show as well as dust slowly falling down from the roof. The Ape looked stunned at my attack at first but when he examined his bleeding nose, he smirked evilly at me and chuckled lightly.

"Your power is impressive, dragon…" The Ape remarked, getting back up from his stunned daze. "But it won't be enough."

"Oh yeah?" I said, slightly panting. "There's more where that came from…"

I used my ice breath to freeze the Ape's feet in place, charging up towards him and blasting him with my electricity breath as he struggled to break his feet out of the ice. However the Ape was more resistant to electricity than the other Apes despite wearing partial metal armour. The Ape retaliated by firing a green laser from his jewel-eye, catching me off-guard and giving him enough time to break himself out of the ice by digging his swords into them.

As I fired a fireball at the Ape, the Ape suddenly disappeared in a golden light. Huh? No fair! Since when can he _teleport?! _But more importantly… where did he go?

"Spyro, look out..." I heard Cynder call out weakly.

Before I could react, the Ape had teleported behind me and used his stinky old foot to trap me on the ground. I thrashed around, trying desperately to break free from the foot's grasp but the Ape continued to put more pressure onto my body. Luckily I still had Sparx with me, otherwise I'd probably be crushed to death by now.

The Ape pointed one of his swords underneath my chin, one wrong move and blood would be drawn. "You're finished, purple whelping… It's over."

No… it couldn't be over. I refuse to give up! "Never!" I exclaimed.

I opened my mouth slightly, revealing an orb of green light emitting from it. A stone slab started to shake from underneath the Ape but eventually it rose up, a column of dirt underneath helping it rise. The stone slab slammed at the Ape's moneymaker, causing him to roar in pain and release his grip on me. I scrambled out from underneath the Ape's foot and proceeded to fire fireballs at his face, dodging every sword slash he directed at me. I flew in close and try to attack him with more melee-based attacks such as my claws or even my tailblade but the Ape was easily able to dodge or deflect my attacks. I must've dropped my guard again or something since the Ape dropped one of his swords and grabbed me by the throat with his meaty hands, pinning me against the wall by the window.

The Ape chuckled loudly. "Foolish dragon, you are no match for me! How are you supposed to defeat the Dark Master with this level of incompetence?"

I couldn't respond, his claws were digging too deep into the sides of my throat. But he did have a point… I couldn't fight, I never had the proper training… I didn't think I needed to. I failed to defeat Malefor once, how am I supposed to defeat him this time?

Then I caught my eye on something peculiar, a black mist was moving behind the Ape. The black mist dashed underneath him and struck the Ape in the face as if it were uppercutting him, causing the Ape's helmet to fall off and skid across the room. The Ape had released his grip on my throat and I fell to the ground, breathing heavily due to the pressure of the Ape's grip. The mist strangely started to form itself into a shape of a dragon… a dragon that I should've recognised sooner.

Cynder…?

Somehow Cynder had used the Healing Gems I gave her during my fight with the Ape. All evidence of any scratches, bruises and bloodstains had vanished from her body. She looked strong and healthy as always… and might I add, very beautiful. But also she looked… very, _very _angry. She stood in between the Ape and I in a defensive pose, ready to attack if provoked.

"So the bitch _can_ fight back…" The Ape snarled, a smirk on his face.

Cynder only responded with a growl. She then proceeded to blast her wind breath at the Ape, in fact she was screaming it out. Her wind breath looked stronger than I have ever seen it, it was big enough to engulf the Ape as Cynder moved closer and closer towards him. The Ape used his hand to block the wind from his face and attempted to move towards Cynder but the wind was too strong for him to move. Holy shit, this was so badass… not even the Guardians could top this level of badassery.

Cynder's wind breath eventually died down to reveal that the Ape was on his knees, his swords were scattered and his armour was ripped apart due to the force of the wind.

"Go on then… finish me." He panted. "You know you want to…"

Cynder still didn't say anything but I could tell she was thinking about it. Ancestors, _I _didn't even know what I'd do in this situation. Cynder then turned away from the Ape and began walking back towards me, thinking that she was making the right decision by determining that he wasn't worth killing but there was something in her face that had a hint of regret to it.

"Coward…" The Ape spat.

Cynder stop in her tracks as her eyes narrowed with anger, a small growl emerging from her maw. Uh oh, he shouldn't have said that… It was like this Ape had flipped a switch on Cynder's emotions as if he knew just the right switch to get her to get mad.

Cynder frantically shot a couple of short spurts of her wind breath, making sure that the Ape was dazed and disoriented as he flew closer and closer towards his neck. She's not going to…?

With a scream of rage that could echo the halls of the fortress, Cynder slashed violently at the Ape's neck. One slash, that's all it took to kill him. The Ape's eyes widened at the suddenity of the attack but they eventually went still as his life seeped away. The Ape then collapsed onto his front, a pool of blood slowly leaking from underneath.

My eyes were widened with a mix of shock and fear. Cynder just killed that Ape… it wasn't like a mercy kill or a kill that made the Ape suffer, it was quick and brutal. I knew she had a bit of a temper but I didn't think it could escalate to this level. From where I was looking, there was more to the story behind Cynder and the Ape than meets the eye.

But what's worse was that Cynder continued to slash violently at the Ape's corpse, blood becoming more and more stained on her paws. "YOU BASTARD! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET!" She shrieked, her voice filled with rage and hatred. Something didn't feel right… this wasn't the Cynder that I knew.

I cautiously approached her. "Cynder… he's dead... you can stop now…" I muttered calmly.

Cynder stopped slashing at the Ape's corpse and panted heavily from all the energy that she was using but she didn't turn to look at me, her focus was still mainly on the Ape but I knew she could still hear me.

"Cynder…?" I spoke up again, slowly reaching out towards her paw in comfort.

As soon as I got close to her, Cynder darted around and attempted to swipe at my face. I took a few steps and easily avoided having a scratch mark on my cheek. Her pupils had become slits, similar to that of a snake, and her teeth were bared. It reminded me of the dream I've had except it looks like Cynder retained the same age.

But still… there was no time to be scared. Cynder needed me. "Hey… it's okay. I'm here now… you don't have to worry about him anymore…" I assured in a tone soft enough so that I couldn't make her even more angrier.

Cynder's rage-filled eyes were still fixated on me, like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike its prey. "Come back Cynder… don't do this. Don't become like him, be better… be better, okay?" I pleaded, showing that I wasn't afraid and wanted to help by moving closer. "Can you do that for me?"

Cynder still retained her angry look for a few minutes but soon started to fade away as she thought about what I said. She sat on her haunches and looked at her blood-stained paws in horror, as if she only just figured out they had blood on them. Her face then quickly changed to that of remorse as she realised what she done, eyes welling up with tears.

"Spyro… I… I…" She whimpered, sounding confused and scared.

Then… she broke. Tears flooded down like a waterfall as Cynder began to sob loudly. I immediately rushed to her side and wrapped my wing around her in comfort. Cynder then buried herself under my chin and continued to sob in my chest.

"Hey, hey… everything's going to be alright. It's over now…" I assured, resting my head on top of Cynder's. Poor Cynder, she didn't deserve to live like this. She didn't ask to get stolen by an evil purple dragon, she didn't ask to be left in her room covered horn to claw in scratches nor did she ask to snap completely and brutally murder an Ape!

"I… I'm s-so s-sorry, S-Spyro…" She stuttered through her sobs. "I don't k-know what c-came o-over m-me…"

I rubbed her back sympathetically. "You have nothing to be sorry for…. you didn't do anything wrong."

"I j-just… h-hate it h-here s-so much!" Cynder cried out loudly.

"I know, I know…" I said more quietly, trying my best to calm her down. "I should've tried to find you sooner, I'm sorry. But I'm here now, I'm here to take you home…"

Cynder poked her head out from underneath my chin and gave me a confused look. "H-home?" She wondered.

I nodded. "Yeah… your _real _home." I replied with a smile.

Cynder returned to her spot underneath my chin, her whimpers quietly dying down slightly. She then lifted her head up towards me so that she could nuzzle me. I happily returned the nuzzle, lowering my head so that Cynder wasn't all on the tips of her paws."T-thank you, Spyro… t-thank you…" She muttered in gratitude.

**Well, hate to be the bearer of cliffhangers but I'm going to have to it leave here. I wasn't originally planning to have this chapter as a two-parter but it seems that plans change. That means there's more work for me to do! **

**I would continue but I don't want to bore you guys with a long ass chapter. But rest assured, I have started writing Cynder's POV… so expect that next month. **

**I also want to give a shout-out to my good buddy MysticOTDH for beta-reading this chapter. Thanks a lot man! **

**So anyway after I finish this story, I'll be starting on the first installment of the Crossover-Verse Trilogy which you know by now is called Convergence. So be on the lookout for that in the crossover archives soon! **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y! **_


	12. We Are The Champions (Part 2)

**Welcome back to part 2 of Chapter 11! In the previous part, we saw Spyro, the Guardians and the rest of the Artisan army head to the Mountain of Malefor to face off against Malefor while Spyro and Sparx sneak into the fortress to rescue Cynder. **

**Where we last left off, Spyro and Cynder had fought against a powerful Ape. The Ape had overpowered Spyro but was violently killed by Cynder in a fit of rage, leaving Spyro to comfort a traumatised Cynder. **

**So what's going to happen in Part 2? Let's find out!**

**(Chapter 11: We Are The Champions, Part 2) **

_The end is inevitable..._

**(CYNDER's POV)**

After a few minutes of Spyro calming me down, I was mentally prepared to head back to the Artisan Valley. My new home. Spyro asked me if I wanted to take anything with me to the Valley, I answered no. I didn't want to bring anything that reminded me of this place. Time for a fresh start, I said to myself.

As we headed out of my room I explained to Spyro that the Ape we fought was Gaul, the Ape King and Malefor's loyal second in command. I told him how Gaul was the one that stole my egg in the first place even though Malefor ordered him to smash _every_ egg except the one that held the purple dragon.

"So Gaul stole you from the temple? Why did he disobey Malefor's orders?" Spyro asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he needed a dragon to rise against my father or perhaps he wanted to eat me, I'm not sure. Not even my father knows why he stole my egg." I explained to him.

"So Malefor then decided to raise you?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I nodded, continuing my story afterwards. "I didn't see much of Gaul growing up, I figured he hated me so much he didn't want to be anywhere near me but I think it was because he was afraid of my dad."

"He certainly didn't _seem _like the cowardly type before…"

"No… he wasn't." I said grimly, trying to keep myself calm.

I looked at my blood-stained paws, flashbacks of pain and torture unwillingly immediately flooding into my mind. I couldn't get them out, they overwhelmed me. The neck brace rubbing against my scales, the sound of Gaul's twin swords scraping against the granite floor. Every minute and every hour started to make my blood, negative thoughts filled my head. _I'm glad I killed him, _that same thought repeating and repeating. Why hasn't it stopped?! Why can't I shake it out?!

_What's wrong with me? _

"You alright?" A concerned Spyro wondered as he saw me looking at my paws.

I snapped back to reality. I then attempted to shake all the flashbacks out of my head and looked straight ahead, focusing on the corridor ahead rather than Spyro. "Sorry… just thinking." I muttered.

"If you're still worried about what you did, don't be. It wasn't your fault, okay?"

"I know, it's just…" I said, taking a moment to get rid of any remaining flashbacks. "Hard to process."

"It's best not to think about it, Cynder. Otherwise what happened before will get worse and I might not be able to bring you back next time." Spyro advised, a serious look on his face.

"Yeah, suppose you're right…" I agreed right before giving him a slight smile.

We both went quiet as we headed closer towards the door that leads to the dining room. I looked over to Spyro, his gaze focused on the door ahead. He looked troubled, as if something was on his mind and he couldn't quite figure out how to fix it. Was it my dad that he was worried about? Or was it me? Whatever it was, Spyro looked scared. He may be trying to put on a brave face but the signs were there.

"I missed this, you know." I spoke up as Spyro went onto his hind legs to open the doors.

"Missed what?" Spyro questioned, turning his head to look at me.

"You and me, talking." I answered, sitting on my haunches. "I only had myself for company… And I hate talking to myself."

Spyro smiled. "Me too." He said before pushing the door open, using his hind leg to keep it open so that he could let me through.

I walked through the door and looked around the dining room. This place I remember too well, the large table and the disturbing tapestries of my father gloating over his status as an unstoppable conqueror became familiar to me once again. Dad and I would share quiet dinners together, that's one of the few times I actually get to see him outside of training even if it was only for a few minutes.

He was always quick to finish his dinner. I didn't know if he was incredibly busy or if he just didn't want to be around me. But if it was the latter then why keep my egg? Why didn't he just smash me on the spot? What could I do that allowed me to live?

"This way." Spyro said, heading towards the corridor that leads to the main door.

I stood there confused to why Spyro was going that way. "Uh, Spyro? You're going the wrong way…" I told him.

Spyro stopped in his tracks and gave me a puzzled look. "Front door's this way, isn't it?" He wondered, as if I had memory loss or something.

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute… you used the front door?" I asked him.

Spyro nodded slowly, still baffled. "Yes…?"

"And you went through the storm outside?"

Spyro nodded slowly again. "Yes…?"

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly. I can't believe that Spyro used the main entrance, no one uses the main entrance unless Dad wanted to bring fear into any invaders that dare trespass his territory.

"What?" Spyro questioned, even more confused than he was before now that I was chuckling to myself. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I shouldn't laugh…" I said, taking a deep breath to stop my laughter. "But you know you could've just went through a Portal, right?"

It took awhile for Spyro to respond but when he did, his eyes widened in realisation. "Umm…" Was all that came out of his mouth.

I chuckled once again. "Come on, Portal Room's this way." I said, turning towards the opposite direction from where Spyro and I were walking before.

I led Spyro past the dining room and into another corridor, which was almost identical to the corridor that lead to the front door. But luckily for him, I knew my way around. This was the same room where I ran away from home after all.

The Portal Room was darkened by a lack of light from the three portals that were stationed next to each other, only torches that were placed in between the portals helped to illuminate the room. There was no door leading into the Portal Room, only a large stone archway that stuck out from the rest of the wall. This was more efficient for Dad's army to easily enter another world without having to have a poor Gnorc or Ape hold the door open for the rest of the army.

I looked slightly to the right of the portal that stood directly in front of me, a huge blood stain being briefly seen thanks to the torchlight. It was dried up and had fully merged with the stone floor, not even the best cleaning product couldn't get rid of that amount of blood. I recognised this blood stain immediately as the unfortunate Gnorc who had an icicle impaled in his chest by my father the day I left.

Seeing how merciless my dad could be helped me to go on the path I'm on now. I could've killed Spyro at Summer Forest then and there but I didn't. I saw the look on Spyro's face, full of fear and uncertainty. It was similar to that of the Gnorc, it was that moment when I started to realise that Spyro was not as bad as my Dad said.

"Do you know the code?" Spyro asked me as he gazed around the Portal Room.

I didn't answer Spyro's question and immediately walked up to the centre portal and stood up on my hind legs to have a look at the control panel that was located at the side of the portal, a common thing amongst other portals I've seen. The panel had the numbers '2008' illuminated on the screen above the keypad.

Curious. Very curious.

"Don't have to." I replied. "There's one already typed in…"

"To Warfang, I presume?" Spyro wondered. "Malefor must've used it to get some of his army outside." He then theorised, sitting on his haunches and putting his paw on his chin. "But I saw his army using the main entrance so I don't know why he would use the portals as well."

"He knew you and the Guardians were coming, that's why he left Gaul to guard this place. So who knows what my father had planned." I said grimly.

"Then we better get to Warfang before things get worse." Spyro advised.

I nodded and activated the portal. The portal immediately sparked into life, the symbols that were etched into the stone archway blinked with pure light. The portal started to fill up the space in the archway, spiralling closer and closer to Spyro and I. The portal made a strange whirring noise as it quickly illuminated the room with a mix of purples and blues. There was something about these portals that was almost hypnotic, the beauty of the portal merging and mixing colours was so entrancing to the eyes but when you stepped in, there was a chance instant death was going to welcome you.

And I have a feeling that what's going to happen when we go through this portal…

Spyro walked up to me and placed his paw on top of mine. "Ready?" He asked.

I looked deeply into his amethyst eyes, feeling safer the longer I stared into them. "Let's go." I answered.

Simultaneously, Spyro and I ran towards the portal and lunged through it. The cold and damp atmosphere of the fortress slowly evaporated away when I got deeper into the portal and was replaced with a nice warm feeling, a feeling I haven't felt in a long time. The feeling of the outside world.

Goodbye old fortress I called home, I hope I never have to see you again.

**() **

In a split second, Spyro and I materialized into a clearing not too far from the mountain. The clearing wasn't big or very spaced out as tall, thin trees closed in around us. The trees themselves left a few gaps in the ground so that I could see bits of the mountain in between the trunks. It was noticeably warmer than it was in the fortress despite the fact that the sun was so close from disappearing into the hills opposite us. But if the sun was going down then wouldn't it be colder? Something felt odd but I wasn't sure what. Urgh, and what was that smell?! It was enough to burn the nostrils of a dragon with a cold!

"Spyro? Is it just me or does something feel not quite right?" I wondered, looking around suspiciously.

Spyro, however, didn't share the same suspicions. "Everything seems fine to me. Maybe you are just getting used to being outside again…" He answered.

I immediately shaked my head, knowing that Spyro wasn't right. "It's not me. It's just surprisingly warm… and it smells weird."

"So?" Spyro questioned cluelessly.

I snorted in frustration, getting more annoyed that Spyro wasn't understanding what I was trying to say. I mean, I love him and all but sometimes he can be a bit oblivious. "It's evening. The sun's going down and when the sun goes down, the temperature goes down right?" I tried to explain to him.

"Right…"

"_So_…" I continued. "Shouldn't it be colder?" I asked him.

Spyro's eyes wandered around the scenery, putting my theory in consideration as the breeze slightly moved his frill to the side. He also started to sniff the air to see if he could smell the same weird odour I discovered earlier. "Yeah, you're right. It does feel warmer." Spyro eventually responded. "And as for the smell, it feels like it's originating from down this hill." He said as he turned his head towards the hill.

He started to walk to the edge of the hill and I trailed behind him, curious to know what was causing the odd stench. Weirdly the more I smelled it the more it became familiar to me. I could've sworn I smelt when whenever Spyro or my father used their fire element or sometimes their electricity element. If not, it was still very similar.

But as soon as I saw what was below the hill, my deepest concerns were confirmed.

A battlefield laid before us. What was once a presumably beautiful clearing is now barren and dead. The green grass had been completely disintegrated into ash, leaving behind only ash that turned the dirt into an ugly grey colour. The few trees that were there have become blackened sticks, slowly losing balance as the wind hits them. I'm guessing this was caused by my father using his fire element, that would explain the grim smell of ash.

But what was worst were all the bodies. There were a handful of them scattered around the battlefield. I wasn't sure if they were alive or not but judging from their injuries, I was only assuming the worst. There were a few dragons, three of them I recognised as Terrador, Cyril and Volteer. From where I was standing, they looked fairly better than the rest of the dragons that were down there.

Alongside the dragons and an assortment of Gnorcs, Apes and Grublins, there were a couple of creatures I didn't recognise. One creature looked tall, slender and covered in spots and were equipped with bow and arrows while the other creatures were small, brown, fat and had rodent-like teeth. Unlike the spotted creatures, the smaller creatures had no weapons nearby or perhaps they did but they were destroyed. Instead, they had a mixed range of armour on them. Some had gold, some had silver, some had materials I've never seen before.

I briefly looked at Spyro, who had a traumatic look on his face. I'm guessing he's never seen anything so destructive before. "This is all my fault…" Was all he could say.

I gripped his paw, hoping it could comfort him. "This _isn't _your fault, Spyro!" I said to him, "You couldn't have known this would happen."

"But it _did _happen." Spyro argued. "If I was there from the start then everyone would still be okay."

"_Or_ you could've been one of those bodies down there…" I pointed out, gesturing towards the battlefield. "And if you died then I would still be trapped in my father's fortress."

"I'm just glad you're not down there as well." Spyro muttered, averting his gaze away from the battlefield and towards me.

"Me too… but with you." I said, awkwardly. Urgh, now's not the time to be lovestruck! You were staring at potential corpses before!

"Come on, we have to get back to the Valley." Spyro murmured, turning away from the battlefield and towards the portal.

"Wait… what about the others down there?" I wondered, shocked that Spyro was choosing to leave instead of helping. "We can't just leave them there."

"It's what Ignitus told me to do. Find you and head back." Spyro answered, earning an angry glance from me. "Look, I'm not keen on leaving everyone behind either but if it means keeping you safe then who am I to refuse his orders?" He then said as a response to my angry glance.

Spyro then sat on his haunches and looked in sadness. "I just…" He started to say before pausing and looking directly at me. "Don't want to lose you again."

I wanted to argue back. Surely, the Guardians were more important than me right? They were basically his family and yet Spyro was willing to leave them behind for my sake. I couldn't allow him to do this, Spyro is usually better than that. But when I look at him, there's a great fear in Spyro's eyes. He was too scared to fight my father because he knew he couldn't defeat him the first time. I could tell that he didn't want to die, he wanted to live. As I thought when I first saw him, Spyro was more of an explorer than a fighter.

"Alright… we'll go." I reluctantly agreed. "But we're coming back once we get a plan of attack sorted out, okay?"

Spyro nodded. "Okay." He mumbled. I knew deep inside that he hated where Ignitus' plan was going but it was the best option we've got right now.

As we slowly headed back to the portal, a loud, booming roar ripped through the atmosphere like a hurricane. It came so suddenly that Spyro and I jumped from sheer shock and exchanged fearful looks to one another, knowing exactly who made that roar. Saying nothing to each other, we quickly raced back to the edge of the hill.

"SPYRO!" The voice of my father echoed throughout the land. I could see one of Spyro's eyes twitching when he saw my dad again, trying not to remember the time when he was beaten by him. He even tenderly gripped one of my paws to keep himself calm.

The Dark Master stood firmly in the middle of the battlefield after somehow materializing out of nowhere. No idea where he was before nor do I want to know what he was doing. Relief washed over me as Dad looked around the battlefield trying to find us. Good, he couldn't find us… but the question is, how long until he finds us?

"Spyro! I know you can hear me! Come and face your destiny!" Dad exclaimed, projecting his voice as he rotated around the battlefield. He then chuckled evilly, causing me to flinch slightly. An evil laugh is never a good sign, what's he up to now? "You wouldn't want to let poor Ignitus down, would you?"

Dad sat on his haunches and picked up a wounded red dragon that was lying right next to him by the neck. The red dragon was still alive thankfully as he started to cough and splutter blood all over the place. As soon as Spyro saw the red dragon, he tightened his grip on my paw and started to breathe through his nostrils more quickly as if he was panicking. Nothing was unable to come out of his maw, he was too speechless. He was too _scared _to say anything and so was I.

"My, my, he doesn't look too good, does he?" The Dark Master taunted, laughing to himself as he dropped Ignitus from the height he was being held from, a small thud being heard as Ignitus landed on the ground. "You know, it was incredibly foolish of you to let all these creatures fight for you and for what?! To save Cynder?! How predictable…" He scolded, shaking his head in disapproval.

Dad then smirked evilly. "So why don't you be a good, little purple dragon and face me at once and I'll let Ignitus and anyone who can still breathe live." He proposed in a manipulative tone. "But tick tock, Ignitus won't have long…"

Spyro released his grip on my paw and sat on his haunches, looking firmly at the ground in thought. When he fought Gaul, he seemed confident even if he didn't quite have the proper training to easily take him down. But despite that, he never gave up and he never gave in. But when it came to my Dad, he had no idea what to do. He was beaten the first time, how did he expect to beat him this time?

"I have to face Malefor…" He spoke up, keeping his gaze firmly on the ground.

My eyes widened at what he said. "What!? No… you can't." I exclaimed. He couldn't face my father, he didn't even have Sparx to protect him for ancestor's sake! One wrong move and he was a goner! I don't want that to happen to him! Not now, not ever!

"I have to at least try…" Spyro said, lifting his head to look at me. "I'm the only hope for the Dragon Realms right now. As Ignitus said once, only a purple dragon can defeat him and right now that purple dragon is me."

Spyro then looked back to the ground again, a small tear slowly streaming down his eye. "Cynder… if I… If I die…" He stuttered.

"Don't say that!"

Spyro looked back up and gazed into my eyes, a sad look on his face. "Cynder, listen to me. If I somehow don't make it, I want you to promise me something…"

I held onto one of his paws. "Yeah, of course… anything."

"Promise me that you'll have a happy life. Wherever you are, whoever you are with… just be happy. You deserve to have a better life than you did when you were with Malefor."

"Spyro, I…" I tried to say. How can I have a life with someone else and be happy about it? I don't want to be with some other dragon that has a name that matches his element or a dragon with similar problems as me. Spyro's the one I want to be with… he's the only one that makes me happy…

"Please Cynder." Spyro pleaded. "Please promise me you'll be happy without me…"

I couldn't…. How could I promise that?! He's the only reason why I laugh or smile! He brings that out in me! But he was my friend, I can't deny his last wish… no matter how much I hated it. "I promise…" I vowed reluctantly.

Spyro smiled and went to nuzzle me. I accepted his nuzzle, eventually leading to us leaning against each other's foreheads. "Thank you Cynder…" He muttered, trying not to break down into tears. "You've been the bestest friend I could ever ask for. You will forever and always be worth fighting for…"

Spyro then slowly separated himself from our embrace and started to head down the hill, his head lowered down in sadness. I couldn't bear to see this, I could feel my heart tearing itself to pieces. This wasn't right! He didn't deserve to die!

"Spyro…" I croaked, eyes starting to well up.

Then Spyro stopped in his tracks, somehow hearing me from the distance he was from me. He stood absolutely still, possibly in thought. But what was he thinking about? Was he reconsidering his decision? I had no idea…

But boy, was I in for a surprise.

Spyro raced towards me and briefly locked his lips with mine. My eyes widened at the suddenity of the kiss, I was certainly not expecting that! My lips remained still, confused about what I should do next. Should I kiss him back? Should I pull away? My heart rate increased, chugging away faster than a steam train that was constantly going faster due to the heavy amount of coal that was quickly being shoved in. Everything felt hot as my cheeks flushed a deep red, the cool shiver down my spine keeping me from shamefully melting into the grass.

I couldn't believe it… he's _kissing _me. He's actually kissing me.

After a couple of seconds, Spyro broke our lip contact and ran off in the same direction he was going before… only seeing my frozen look of bewilderment for a moment's glance.

He kissed me. He _does _like me.

Why didn't I see this before? It all makes sense now. But when did he start liking me in 'that' way? During his mission? Before I got captured? When we first met?! Who knows...

Internally, I was jumping up and down with excitement and my heart was doing summersaults but externally I was unable to move since I was still shocked about Spyro kissing me.

No. This is no time to stand there like a clueless statue, I've got to help Spyro… and tell him how _I_ feel. Maybe that could give him hope…

I shook myself out of my lovestruck daze and turned into my shadow form, disappearing into the darkness as I made my way towards where my father was standing.

Hold on Spyro, I'm coming…

**()**

Spyro slowly wandered down the battlefield towards my father, a defeated look on his face. I followed closely behind him, the darkness making me invisible to the naked eye. I didn't want to wander far from Spyro, just in case my father got cocky and killed him where he stood. I gave him some company as he edged closer and closer to my father, even if he didn't know that I was close to him.

The Dark Master turned around and made eye contact with Spyro, a malicious grin spreading across his face. "Well, finally brave to show yourself eh?" He said, maintaining his evil grin.

Spyro sat on his haunches and gave my dad a stern look. I quickly dashed over to a nearby burnt tree and watched as Spyro and Dad conversed. "You got me, Malefor… now let Ignitus go." He muttered.

Dad didn't respond back to Spyro, he only picked Ignitus by the neck once again and chucked him towards Spyro, landing in between himself and Spyro.

Ignitus weakly lifted his head and made eye contact with Spyro, his eyes widening as much as they could. "Spyro?" he mumbled quietly, eyes now half open. "Where's Cynder?" He then wondered, noticing that I wasn't with Spyro.

"Yes… where is Cynder anyway, Spyro?" Dad repeated in a mocking tone. "I assumed you must've stolen her from my fortress."

Spyro's eyes narrowed. "She's gone. Far away from you…" He replied.

"We'll see…" My father grumbled, kicking Ignitus aside with his hind legs.

After Ignitus was pushed to the side, both my father and Spyro got into an attack pose. They started to circle around, keeping their eye contact firmly on each other. If one starts to attack, the other would see it coming. Tension started to build up as everything went quiet, the only sound I could hear was burning embers from afar.

"I waited a long time for this to happen, Spyro. Ever since you were just an egg, you've been a thorn in my side. But once I kill you, I'll be free to conquer every single stinking world in the Dragon Realms. No more dragons, no one to stop me…" My father muttered, doing a stereotypical villain monologue. Come on, Dad! You're a better villain than that!

"So you plan to commit genocide?!" Spyro questioned. "That's messed up, dude…"

"Genocide? I see it as a great cleansing." Dad answered. "The key to a perfect world."

"More like chaos." Spyro pointed out.

"The worlds are already full of chaos, young dragon. I'm simply giving the Realms what it truly desires." What did he mean by that?!

Spyro shook his head. "No, I don't believe that!" He growled.

"Good. Because you won't be around to see it happen!"

Dad let out a powerful roar and pounced towards Spyro, unleashing a huge plume of fire from his maw. Spyro, luckily, was able to dodge it with relative ease, retaliating with a few short spurts of electricity on the side of my father's face. This didn't affect my father as much as Spyro wanted to, it just made him even more angrier. Dad snarled and used his ice element to chase Spyro as he evaded the wave of cold, the ice disappearing into mist as soon as it hits the ground.

Spyro took flight to evade my father's Earth-based attacks, swooping around and clawing at my Dad to the point where my father got irritated and surprisingly used his wind element to blow Spyro out of the air and left him to collapse on the ground. Since when did he have wind?! If he had wind all this time, why didn't he teach me how to wield it properly?!

"It's no use, purple dragon… even with the proper training, you can not match my skills." Dad taunted, standing triumphant over Spyro. "But at least you are slightly better than Cynder." He then pointed out.

I frowned in annoyance. Okay… That was a little uncalled for.

"Yeah, about Cynder…" Spyro winced as he struggled to get up. "What exactly was her role in your master plan anyway?" He questioned.

"Nothing… at first." The Dark Master answered without hesitation. "Realising that she was a black dragon, she had potential to become something greater. Great enough to kill you with the proper training…" He started to explain. "But as she got older, that plan started to fall apart. She couldn't even access her elements, she couldn't do anything! And when she decided to run away, that's when I realised she was a lost cause."

"Then why come after her? Why not just let her run away?" Spyro queried, bombarding my father with more questions.

Dad snorted, a small puff of smoke coming out of his nostrils. "Couldn't risk her spilling any of my secrets. I knew she would try to come after you and I knew you were trying to save the other Guardians so it was only a matter of time before you two would eventually cross paths. After that, I had to only follow the path of destruction that both of you left behind." He answered.

Spyro then started to chuckle to himself, looking up to my father with his typical cheeky grin on his face. "Secrets? No… she rubbed off on you, didn't she?" He theorised. A theory that made me drift into thought, is that why I'm still alive to this very day?! Did my father truly have a soft spot for me after all?

While Spyro thought that the idea of the Dark Master going soft was funny, Dad didn't feel the same way. His eyes narrowed in pure fury and he started to growl slightly before suddenly striking Spyro and sending him tumbling near where Ignitus was laying. His blood boiling in anger, Dad stormed towards Spyro furiously. He was so furious that cracks emerged from the ground every time he stomped his paws.

"The only reason why Cynder lives now is because she's useful… when she eventually gets her head straightened out." Dad roared into Spyro's face, teeth bared. "Think I _care _for her? Well you're wrong! She was never my daughter, she was merely a weapon to me!"

As soon as he said that, everything stopped. The words soon echoed through my mind, not allowing anything else to enter through it. It was always the same words, the words a kid would never want to hear their parents say out loud.

Never my daughter…

_Never my daughter… _

How dare he?! How fucking dare he say that?!

My path now made clear, I immediately shadow dashed to where Spyro and my fa-Malefor was. As Malefor had opened his maw to blast Spyro with an element, I re-emerged from the shadows and blew Malefor with the largest gust of wind I could muster. For a moment, I could see the look on Malefor's face when I popped out of nowhere… makes me wish I had a camera for just the occasion.

My wind attack only managed to push Malefor back a little bit but it was enough to stun him for a couple of minutes. I then turned to Spyro and held out a paw to help him back on his paws.

"Cynder?! What are you doing here?!" Spyro wondered, eyes widened by my sudden appearance. "Get back to the portal!" He demanded.

"And leave you to die?" I retorted. "No way, I'm with you till the end."

To my surprise, Spyro didn't argue or respond back. He simply gave me a small smile, clearly touched that I wanted to stay by him.

Malefor eventually was able to shake himself out of his dazed state, giving Spyro and I a death glare.

"I'm disappointed in you, daughter." Malefor muttered, putting on a fake scolding tone. But I was not having it, he's not going to manipulate me again.

"I'm not your daughter! You said it yourself, you purple douchebag!" I yelled back at him. "Everything you ever told me was a lie or a manipulation. For years I wanted to kill the purple dragon, but I realise now that it wasn't Spyro… it was you!" Man, that felt good to finally get that off my chest.

Malefor's lip curled and his eye slightly twitched angrily. "So you made your choice. Very well…"

Malefor shot an massive bolt of electricity towards Spyro and I, causing us to dive to opposite sides to avoid getting electrocuted. As the electricity vanished from existence, both Spyro and I exchanged glances with each other. These were glances that acknowledged that we were fighting together without having to say anything. It's like he could read me and I could read him, we've come a long way since that fateful day in Summer Forest.

"Cover me!" Spyro ordered. "I've got an idea!"

I nodded and charged towards the dragon I used to call my father while Spyro stayed behind, I had no clue on what he was going to but I just hope it doesn't backfire on us. Malefor shot various spurts of fireballs in my direction but I was able to easily avoid thanks to my shadow element, ducking in and out of the shadows so that the fireballs couldn't even touch me.

I then breathed out a dark plume of, what I think is, shadow fire from my maw. The shadow fire slowly engulfed the Dark Master in a thick, black mist, making him cough and gasp for breath. Wait, I was suffocating him?! Damn, that's cool… Here's thinking the idea of Shadow Fire was completely stupid.

"Cynder, get back!" Spyro called out from afar.

I turned around to see Spyro getting ready to charge towards Malefor, a slightly strange red glow on his body. I instantly got out of the way to give Spyro a clear run at Malefor, the black plume from my shadow element still choking the life out of him.

As Spyro ran towards the Dark Master, fire started to surround him as he got faster and faster. I recognised that this was very similar if not the same attack as the one he used against Gaul. It was almost… entrancing in a way, he looked like a comet that I saw in a book one time. Oooh, it was a _Comet Dash_! I'll have to tell Spyro that later.

Malefor eventually was able to clear the shadow plume away but he wasn't able to do anything as Spyro edged closer and closer to him, his eyes widening at the sight of Spyro's power. When Spyro got close enough, he propelled himself closer to Malefor's head and sent him tumbling to the ground in a daze. Damn, that was impressive.

Once Malefor recovered from Spyro's attack, he snarled and shot a powerful stream of electricity towards Spyro and I. But we both managed to dodge it with relative ease, taking flight and swarming around Malefor while shooting a mix of fireballs, electricity blasts and shadow fire at the Dark Master. We then slashed at every available weak spot on his body with our claws and tail blades, narrowly avoiding Malefor's sharp teeth. As we attacked, Malefor constantly maneuvered around to look to see if Spyro and I would slip up. But luckily we kept up a good rhythm of coordinated attacks.

Until suddenly, as Spyro was diving towards Malefor and shooting a ton of ice crystals on his neck, Malefor was able to swipe Spyro mid-air at lightning speed. As Spyro fell to the ground, Malefor then used his tail to launch Spyro across the battlefield and right into the burnt remains of a tree nearby.

"Spyro..." I muttered to myself worryingly, immediately ceasing my attack on Malefor.

Concerned about Spyro, I quickly started to fly towards him. Unfortunately Malefor saw this coming and grabbed me with the same speed he had when he attacked Spyro. "Oh no, you don't!" He exclaimed, jumping up to grab me with his claws.

Spyro struggled to get up due to the pain from Malefor's attack. However when he saw that Malefor had grabbed me, he quickly recovered and sprinted back to where Malefor and I were.

"Cynder!" He shouted out, slightly limping on his hind legs.

When Spyro got closer, Malefor raised his tailblade towards my throat which caused Spyro to stop in his tracks.

"Not so fast, Spyro… one step closer and she dies…" Malefor threatened, bringing his tailblade closer to my throat.

"Let her go, Malefor!" Spyro pleaded, a look of caution on his face. "This is just between you and me!"

Spyro tried to approach Malefor slowly only for the Dark Master to bring his tailblade closer to my scales, which made Spyro flinch and his eyes widen.

"Wait, wait!" Spyro said in a panicky tone, his wings flaring. "Just… don't hurt her, okay? Take me instead, I'm the one you want…" He debated calmly.

I tried to struggle against my former father. "Don't give in, Spyro! Attack him now!" I called out.

Malefor chuckled evilly as he tightened his grip on me. "Oh, Cynder… you expect too much from him. So long as I got _you_ here in my grasp, he couldn't hurt me. Am I right, Spyro?" He said, slightly tilting his head in curiosity.

Spyro didn't say anything but his facial expressions told me everything. Malefor was right, Spyro couldn't hurt him as long as I was close to him. Spyro hung his head in shame, defeated by the fact that he couldn't touch Malefor without him hurting or potentially killing me. It wasn't like him to give up so easily. Even in Summer Forest, he refused to back down. At that point he only had his fire element and he _still _kicked ass.

"Spyro, don't listen to him. Just shoot him!" I tried to encourage Spyro, only for him to look at me sadly. He couldn't do it, he couldn't risk it. He didn't want me to get killed.

"You heard her, Spyro." Malefor muttered calmly. "Shoot me."

Spyro didn't respond once again as he started to internally panic, his eyes darting back and forth between Malefor and I. Malefor snorted in frustration as he wasn't getting a reply or movement from Spyro.

"DO IT!" Malefor bellowed, his blade faintly digging into my scales. If Spyro wasn't scared before then he definitely would be now.

Before Spyro could say or do anything, a huge fireball suddenly appeared out of nowhere and hit Malefor right on the left side of his face. This caused Malefor to let go of me in the midst of being surprised by the fireball that appeared. But who shot it? I know it wasn't Spyro since he was standing there plastered with a look of utter terror on his face… so who could it be?

A red dragon then tackled Malefor to the side, the two dragons wrestling as soon as they hit the ground. I immediately recognised as Ignitus, who surprisingly recovered enough of his strength. However due to his injuries, Malefor was gaining the upper hand. He managed to pin Ignitus to the ground and clamp his jaws around Ignitus' neck, the red dragon screaming out in pain as fresh blood trickled out of a gap between his flesh and Malefor's teeth.

"Ignitus!" Spyro exclaimed, shaking himself from his petrified state and ran past me to help Ignitus out.

Seeing Spyro running towards him, Malefor quickly struck Spyro with his tail which sent Spyro flying to the ground. A large sideways cut was present on his chest but thankfully it wasn't deep enough to cause him any mortal damage.

Malefor released his grasp on Ignitus' neck, droplets of blood splattering on the dirt nearby. He then locked eyes with Spyro, narrowing his eyes as he growled angrily.

"I've had enough of you, purple dragon. Prepare to die!" He exclaimed, charging towards Spyro.

It felt like slow motion, Spyro was left defenseless and unsure what to do next as Malefor rushed towards him furiously. Ignitus was down and Spyro clearly had no more fight left in him. He laid there, head weakly moving up to see Malefor preparing to attack him.

Someone had to do something, _I _had to do something…

Without hesitation, I bolted towards Spyro. Thankfully, I was able to catch up to Malefor due to my smaller size. As Malefor raised his tailblade to stab Spyro, instincts kicked in but a different type of instincts. It wasn't an instinct to attack but to do something else…

As Malefor's tailblade got closer and closer to Spyro's body, I dived in between Malefor and Spyro and basically pinned Spyro to the ground. At first, nothing really happened. I only felt a sharp pain in my stomach but I could tell from Spyro's traumatized face that something was wrong.

"C-Cynder..." Was all he said, eyes anxiously darting towards my eyes and my stomach.

Seeing Spyro's reaction caused me to look down to where Spyro was looking. Malefor's tailblade was sticking right through my stomach, my blood staining onto it. Everything started to feel cold as the blood trickled out of the wound, extreme pain overwhelming the numbness of the edge of the wound. I started to feel sick… like _really_ sick, everything started spinning and my vision started to fade between being blurry and being clear. While the blade didn't penetrate my heart or lungs, I still struggled for breath. This was mostly due to the fact that I never felt this kind of pain before. Scratches? Yes. Broken leg? Yes. Being impaled? No.

Once Malefor retracted his tailblade from out of my stomach, all the pain got worse. I felt even colder, I felt even sicker. I grew weaker and weaker every second, so much that I basically collapsed right next to Spyro. Once on the ground, I was able to breathe a little easier than I did before but that didn't stop the pool of blood that was currently surrounding me.

"Cynder…" Spyro muttered, eyes welling up.

I tried to say something but I couldn't muster up the words, I only ended up weakly coughing out a tiny bit of blood.

As Spyro looked at the state I was in, purple lightning started to crackle around his body as he became overcome with sorrow and pure rage. His breathing became quicker and slightly erratic as if he was trying to keep himself calm. Malefor, meanwhile, looked more intrigued by what was happening to Spyro rather than what he had just done to me. Shows how much he _really _cared about me.

The purple lightning around Spyro got more intense, Spyro now starting to growl under his breath. I've never seen him_ this _angry, what was happening to him? His purple scales suddenly became darker, turning into a deep black colour or perhaps a really dark purple. His claws, horns and wings were now a rustic brown, looking quite greasy in some pieces. A black shadowy aura appeared to emit around his body, similar to how I appeared when I was in my shadow form except that I could actually see Spyro.

What was worse but this sudden change was his eyes. Spyro's amethyst eyes were replaced with blank, soulless, white eyes. It was like he wasn't in control of his body anymore.

"Spyro…?" I managed to croak out.

Spyro didn't answer, he only glared at a surprisingly calm and curious Malefor.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU?! YOUR OWN _DAUGHTER?!_" Spyro bellowed out, his voice sounding similar to Malefor's but without the gravelling.

Without hearing a response from Malefor. Spyro opened his maw and unleashed a powerful ray of purple energy, hitting Malefor in the chest and pushing him back severely. Once Spyro closed his mouth, a giant burn mark full of ash and blood was seen on Malefor's chest. Malefor appeared to look hurt by this attack as he took a few deep breaths in pain.

Shaking of the pain, Malefor responded with a smirk. "That's right, Spyro. Let your emotions get the better of you." He grunted. "It's the only way to get the true power of the purple dragon."

It was Malefor's turn to shoot the massive purple energy from his maw, Spyro immediately counteracting. A ball of purple energy was in between Spyro and Malefor, constantly moving from side to side when one would use more power than the other.

Spyro soon got the upper hand, slowly walking towards the Dark Master as the ball of energy got closer and closer to Malefor. Where was this power when they fought the first time?

Eventually Spyro gave it his all and pushed the ball of energy right into Malefor, engulfing the Dark Master in purple light. It happened in an instant and as the smoke cleared, Malefor's body looked cracked like he was made of stone or something. Malefor stood there, shocked from what just happened to him. He sat on his haunches and gazed at his paw, which started to slowly crumble away into the atmosphere.

"Impossible…" He muttered, moving his paw curiously. He then looked at Spyro with an evil smirk and started to chuckle before going into full maniacal laughter. The laughter then faded away as Malefor crumbled into dust, the breeze taking what remained of him away to who-knows-where.

Malefor was gone. The Dark Master had been defeated.

After Malefor's passing, Spyro started to stumble around as his new appearance also faded away and his scales returned to his usual light purple. Spyro looked around the battlefield in a confused way as if he couldn't remember the previous few minutes. Guess that new power of his was a bit more power than he could handle.

"Cynder!" Spyro then exclaimed, immediately racing towards where I laid. Once Spyro arrived, he sat on his haunches and used his forelegs to hold me in comfort.

"Spyro…" I murmured, relieved to see him as I weakly reached out my paw to touch his face.

"Yeah, I'm here… don't worry." Spyro assured me, his voice sounding slightly croaky. But I wasn't sure if it was because he was getting upset or that new power of his took a toll on his voice. "Everything's going to be okay…"

"Did you do it…?" I asked Spyro. "Is he…?"

Spyro nodded. "Yeah, Cynder… he's gone. You're free…" He confirmed.

"Free…?"

Spyro gave me a reassuring smile, trying to act brave in front of me despite his eyes welling up with tears. "Yeah… we can go back home. We can… hang out, burn some sheep… play tag until the sun goes down…"

I chuckled, a tear streaming down my face as I realised that I'll never get the chance to do that. "I'd like that…"

"Look, you're going to be okay…" Spyro ensured as he stroked the back of my head. "We'll get you back, get some healing gems. Good as new, right?!"

"It's too late, Spyro…"

"No, no! It's not too late!" Spyro dismissed, shaking his head. "Please… don't go…"

Spyro hung his head down in sadness, tears silently flowing down. He couldn't look at me, it's hurting him to see me like this.

I raised a paw and moved it under his chin, pushing Spyro's head upwards so that he was making eye contact with him. "Spyro… look at me…" I said, "I'm going to be alright…" I assured him.

"I don't want to lose you! I need you…"

I wanted to reply to him, say that I needed him too or maybe that I loved him but I couldn't. Everything started to fail, I grew weaker and weaker. My vision started to go blurrier and brighter. Was this the end? Is this where the ancestors go?

"Cynder?! No, no! Don't go! Stay with me!" Spyro cried out, absolutely distraught.

As the entire world started to fade into darkness, I heard three precious words that I was going to treasure forever… in this world or the next.

"_I love you…" _

**Well… that just happened. **

**We're down to the final stretch everyone, only one chapter to go! But the question is… will it be happily ever after or will I have to write a funeral scene? You'll just wait till next month to find out! **

**So anyway after I finish this story, I'll be starting on the first installment of the Crossover-Verse Trilogy which you know by now is called Convergence. So be on the lookout for that in the crossover archives soon! **

**This is TARDIS1039, signing off. **_**Allons-y! **_


	13. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

**Hello and welcome to the **_**final **_**chapter of Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Yes you heard that right, it is indeed the final chapter. (What a crazy ride we've been on, am I right?) But I do have a little surprise for you guys which I'll announce at the end of the chapter, so stay tuned for that. Before I begin, I would like to thank everyone that's reviewed, followed and favorited this story. It has really encouraged me to finish a story for once, so again thank you. **

**So last time, Spyro and Cynder leave Malefor's fortress after their ordeal with Gaul and proceed to head back to the Artisan Valley however Spyro was forced to face Malefor when he sees Ignitus injured. Cynder later joins in the fight and ultimately gets stabbed in the stomach, supposedly killing her. This causes Spyro to lash out and kill Malefor using the 'true power of the purple dragon'. Afterwards, he holds Cynder in his arms and finally confesses his feelings just as she starts to fade away. **

**So what happens next? Let's find out, shall we? Enjoy! **

**(Chapter 12: Crazy Little Thing Called Love) **

_Two Weeks Later… _

**(CYNDER's POV) **

_Darkness. That's all I could see around me, a never ending abyss of an empty space. _

_Where was I? I couldn't feel any of the space around me, I couldn't even see my body. I felt like a head floating around, helpless and unable to do anything… _

_Was this where the ancestors go after they leave the world? Do they just have to float around in limbo for all of eternity with only their thoughts to keep them entertained? I never really thought about what the afterlife would look like but I expected it to be more… brighter? Like a paradise perhaps? Who knows… _

_But something felt strange about this place. I could hear voices, it was faint but they were definitely voices. I could even feel something touching what I think is my paw. It felt familiar… like I touched whatever's touching me before. This was odd considering that I was 'floating' in dead space. _

_The voices then became louder, turning into a whisper. It was just one voice now, sounding very soothing but also very sad. I couldn't make out what they said but I could hear the vague sound of someone crying. _

_Spyro…? Was that Spyro? _

_Sudden flashes of memory came flooding into my mind. Being tortured by Gaul, Spyro and I fighting Gaul, Spyro and I fighting Malefor, being stabbed in the stomach. Not the best things to look back on when you're in limbo. _

_Then a pleasant memory came into view, a memory that made me feel warm inside. The kiss that Spyro and I shared before he went off to face Malefor. _

"_I love you." _

"_I love you." _

"_I love you." _

_Those three words kept repeating over and over in my mind, getting louder as I thought about it more. While these words made me the happiest dragoness in the realms, I couldn't help but feel sad at the same time. I realise now that I couldn't tell Spyro the exact same or in fact not being to hear Spyro say those special words to me in person. _

_Poor Spyro, I couldn't imagine what he was going through right now. I was his only friend and I left him on his own again. He shouldn't be on his own, especially not after what happened with Malefor. _

_I'm sorry Spyro… so sorry that I couldn't be there. Ancestors, please help him in having a happy life… he deserves it after all. _

**() **

My eyes slowly started to open as if I had been asleep. I must've been asleep for some time since I was struggling to keep my eyes open, guess they were getting used to moving again.

As my eyelids were waking up themselves, I looked to see where I was. I realised quickly that it wasn't the battlefield near the city of Warfang. Come to think of it, I actually had no idea where I was… so how did I end up here?

I was in a decently-sized room which was very bright and very clean. Sunlight shone through the right side of the room, the thin material covering the massive window not helping to block it out whatsoever. The walls were painted a very plain white, a nice change from the cold, grey stones that I'm used to seeing. Besides from a few chairs, a desk and what I think is a television screen, nothing else seemed to be going on in this room. It kind of reminded me of my room back in Malefor's fortress except it was bigger and less gritter.

Only one question went through my mind. Where am I?

I fully opened my eyes to see a short, furry creature wearing a white fabric over his or her body. The coat seemed a little too big for the creature as I couldn't see anything besides their head. The creature didn't notice that I was awake, it was preoccupied on looking at a thin piece of wood with a smaller white sheet attached to it. I couldn't really tell what was scribbled on the white sheet but if the creature was so interested in it then it must be important.

Should I say something? They might get scared. I am _supposed _to be asleep, right?

I tried to shift around on the bed that I was lying on but for some reason I was too weak to even sit up. Every limb in my body just felt limp as if I had no feeling in my bones. No wonder I couldn't feel anything when I was in the deep abyss.

A sudden thought then occurred to me which made me slightly panic. I couldn't be paralysed, could I? Almost immediately, I attempted to wiggle my claws on all of my legs to see if I could move them. After a minute of moving my claws back and forth successfully, I took a sigh of relief. Oh, thank the ancestors…

As I was checking to see if I was paralysed or not, the small creature had placed the piece of wood that they've been holding on a table nearby. They then turned around to face me and their eyes automatically widened with utter shock, a paw landing on their chest.

"Oh my!" The creature exclaimed, a feminine voice coming out of her mouth. She was clearly not expecting me to wake up any time soon.

"Uh… hi?" I greeted awkwardly.

The creature blinked rapidly before scurrying towards me and examining some equipment on my left. "Well, good morning Ms Cynder." She greeted me, sounding out of breath. "Do forgive me for acting so startled, I just wasn't expecting you to be up so soon."

"Um… that's okay." I assured her. "But perhaps you could tell me where I am?" I then asked.

The creature gave me a quick confused glance before regaining her composure. "You're in the infirmary, young one." She answered. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nurse Braya." She also introduced, doing a small bow.

"How long have I been out?" I wondered, having no need to introduce myself since Nurse Braya already knew my name.

"Two weeks."

I blinked, absolutely perplexed by Nurse Braya's answer. Did she really say two weeks? I mean, I know I was injured pretty badly but surely two weeks is a bit much isn't it?

"What?! Two weeks?! How come?!" I started to panic, my eyes widening and my heart began beating at a quicker pace.

Nurse Braya shushed me so that I wasn't going to make her job more difficult by having a mental breakdown. "Cynder, calm down…" She told me softly. "You've just been in a coma…"

I raised an eyebrow, calming down slightly. "What's a coma?"

"It's when you stay unconscious for a long period of time. It's usually brought on upon severe illness and injury." Nurse Braya explained, retaining that calm and soft tone. "You lost a lot of blood after your encounter with Malefor. Thankfully you were brought here in a quick amount of time otherwise you would've died."

I laid there in silence, trying to take this information in. I've seriously been out for that long? I put on a brave face and nodded in understanding so that the subject could be dropped.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, which made both the Nurse and I jump in utter surprise. The Nurse immediately darted around to face the door and after a few seconds, she turned back towards me with a smile on her face.

"It seems you have a visitor…" Nurse Braya said, walking to the door. I literally just woke up, would I even be allowed to have visitors at this time?

My heart then began beating faster when I thought about who could be at the door. "Is it Spyro?" I wondered, eyes lighting up.

Nurse Braya opened the door and shook her head. "Close… but no."

Instead of Spyro, a huge red dragon came through the door. The dragon was bigger than the door so they had to bend his neck down to fit through. The dragon had red scales with dark red spots on the back of his neck, his shoulders, his hind legs and most of his tail. His horns were curved and were almost the same colour as Spyro's except it was more orangey. Alongside with his reddish pink frills that were on his shoulders and his cheeks. He also had dark red spines that ran down his neck to his tail from the top of his head, which also reminded of Spyro for some reason. He had an orange scaley underbelly and his wings were dark red with light orange membranes.

As soon as the dragon walked in, I immediately recognised him. Ignitus? What was he doing here? Last time I saw him, he looked completely battered and possibly on the verge of death. But here he is now, standing right in front of me. Must've used some Healing Gems after the battle with Malefor…

I tilted my head slightly. "Ignitus?"

Ignitus smiled and nodded his head. "Good morning, young dragoness. It's good to see that you are awake…" He then turned to Nurse Braya. "Could you give us a few minutes, Nurse?" He asked.

Nurse Braya was hesitant at first but she ultimately nodded. "Sure. But just call if something happens…" She said before walking out of the room, leaving Ignitus and I alone. It was then that Ignitus changed his mood entirely, he looked down at the floor in guilt. But what could he be so guilty about?

"Look, Cynder…" Ignitus muttered. "I wanted to apologise for everything that transpired over the past 12 years. Ever since the night that you were taken, I have only myself to blame…Ever since the night that you were taken, I have only myself to blame... Malefor distracted all of us guardians to leave the eggs unprotected, but I was the one that went back. I should've stopped Gaul. I _could've_. But I didn't. He knocked me out and I failed. And because of that, you were captured and raised under Malefor, and hundreds of eggs were smashed…"

Ignitus then took a deep sigh before continuing. "For the past twelve years I hated myself for not staying back and protecting the eggs. It hurt believing only Spyro and a few others had made it out alive. I'm happy and super grateful that you're still alive too, but it hurts knowing that you went through all that you did. It was my fault you were taken, and that countless other lives ended before they could even begin. For that I'm sorry. I hope you can accept my apology, Cynder."

I laid there in silence as I let all of Ignitus' words sink in. He's truly been beating himself up over me being taken? I mean... at least he _tried _to save me, right? Unlike that lie that Malefor told me which involved the Guardians wanting to smash my egg instead of saving it. I couldn't be mad at him, it wasn't his fault that I was taken. It was Malefor's, Ignitus was mainly trying to save me.

"Apology accepted…" I said with a smile.

Ignitus looked up to me, a sense of relief in his face. "I'm glad you could forgive me, Cynder…"

I nodded silently. As I thought about Ignitus' words, I couldn't help but think about Malefor and Spyro. My mind immediately raced back to the battlefield where Malefor crumbled to dust. There was something about Spyro that was different, he almost became a younger version of Malefor in a way with the darker scales and all that power he possessed. Not to mention all the anger that Spyro had. The way Spyro killed my former father was quick and brutal (you could also say a little anticlimactic if this played out as a movie or something.) It got me worried… I didn't want Spyro to become like Malefor, I don't think anyone would anyway.

"Is something the matter, young dragoness?" Ignitus wondered, snapping me back out of my thought process.

"It's just… something that happened to Spyro just after I got wounded." I answered. "His scales got darker for some reason…"

"Hmm…" Ignitus pondered, taking a minute to think about what I said. "It would seem that young Spyro had unlocked the power of Aether."

"Aether? What's that?"

"Aether is the true element of the purple dragons. It surpasses all of the elements of the Dragon Realms as its strength is equivalent to suns, gravity and the righteous might of passing comets." Ignitus explained. "However there is a delicate line of balance needed to fully control the power of Aether. If used correctly then you get Light Aether but if a purple dragon gets corrupted by an unusual force or loses control of their emotions, then you would get Dark Aether. The latter being what happened to Spyro unfortunately."

My heart suddenly started to beat faster. "Unfortunately?! Is he alright?!" I asked, sounding slightly panicky.

Ignitus waved his paw to calm me down. "Fine, fine. He's absolutely fine." He assured me. "He actually stayed here overnight as a matter of fact…"

"Wait, Spyro was here?"

Ignitus nodded. "Yes and he would've remained here if I didn't tell him to get some fresh air." He then raised his eyebrow. "Didn't you see the rose he left for you?"

I gave Ignitus a confused look. "Rose? What rose?"

Ignitus gestured towards the bedside table on my right. I turned to see one singular white rose sitting in a glass vase that was filled halfway with water. The rose was slightly slanted to the left and a couple of petals were resting next to the vase.

This rose looked familiar. It looked like one of the roses I saw near the portal in High Caves. No, scratch that… It _was _one of the roses from High Caves minus the thorns. Man, I remember that day like it was yesterday…

"_Pretty and deadly… I like it." _

"_Yeah, kind of like you…" _

I immediately started to blush as I thought about what Spyro said on that day. I can't believe that Spyro went back to High Caves just to get _me _a rose. He knew that I was fond of them… he _remembered_.

I could've laid there and stared dreamily at the rose all day but Ignitus coughed slightly to indicate that he was still in the room. I quickly snapped back to reality, my blush deepening from embarrassment as I turned to Ignitus.

"Oh… um, sorry…" I muttered, chuckling to myself so I would feel less embarrassed. "So, uh… when is Spyro getting here?" I then asked, trying to change the subject.

"Should be any minute now." Ignitus answered, gazing at the clock that was hung above my bed.

Suddenly a series of frantic knocks came from the door, causing Ignitus and I to turn towards it. My heart started to race again. Was that Spyro? _Please _let be Spyro.

"Or maybe perhaps right this second..." Ignitus then murmured, rolling his eyes as he walked to the door to see if it was actually Spyro or not. As Ignitus opened the door, my heart skipped a beat. Ok, ok, calm yourself Cynder… if it is Spyro, just stay cool. He'll just be as excited to see you as I am to see him.

"Hello there, young dragon." I heard Ignitus greet. Shit, it is him! Stay cool, stay cool. "I trust that getting some fresh air did you some good?"

"Yeah, I suppose so…" I heard Spyro mutter before he yawned loudly. He must've been tired from staying in my room, that's if he even slept at all. "How's Cynder doing? Any changes since I've been gone?" He then asked.

"Why don't you come see for yourself..." Ignitus suggested. Even though I couldn't see his head, I could tell he had a little smile on his face.

Ignitus stepped aside to let Spyro into my room. Sparx, now fully recovered after disappearing during the battle with Gaul, came in first and flew not too far from Spyro but was still zooming around the place. When Spyro came in, I couldn't help but stare at him. He looked very clean and perfectly healthy, not an inch of dirt, blood or even dark energy was not seen. I would've at least expected a bandage or something but no, it was like he wasn't even in a fight. Unlike myself…

At first, Spyro didn't notice that I was awake. He even looked me straight in the eye and he still didn't realise. I wanted to laugh but I managed to hold it in as Spyro took a second glance towards me when he saw me blink. He then stared at me for a second before I blinked again. That's when his jaw slightly dropped and his eyes slowly widened. Okay, now I think he realises.

"C-Cynder?" Spyro stammered, unable to get the words out.

I smirked. "Hey purple boy…"

Spyro's eyes started to well up. "Oh my ancestors, Cynder!" He cried out, immediately racing to my bed where he jumped onto his hind legs and nuzzled me affectionately. I easily returned Spyro's nuzzles, feeling the wetness of his tears when I brushed up against his eye.

"I was so worried about you!" Spyro continued to cry out. "I thought I lost you!"

"I missed you too, you big goof." I chuckled as Spyro's nuzzles started to tickle me. I know I only saw him a few minutes ago in my perspective but that doesn't stop me from missing him during that time.

Ignitus cleared his throat, once again indicating that he was still in the room. "Spyro, give her some space…" He muttered.

Spyro immediately stopped nuzzling me and turned to Ignitus, an embarrassed look on his face as he slowly backed away. "S-Sorry…" He stuttered before turning back to me. "So… how are you feeling, Cynder?" He asked me.

"Alright… just a little tired." I replied, the tone of my voice backing up what I was saying. "But I'm glad I'm alive."

Sparx muttered something mockingly towards Spyro, bumping into his head. Whatever Sparx said, it made Spyro frown in annoyance. His face even turned red, so I'm guessing that it was something humiliating.

"Yes, Spyro was quite dedicated to getting you back to the Valley." Ignitus translated for me. But if that was the translation then why was Spyro embarrassed? There had to be more to what Sparx said...

I brushed off what Sparx said for now and turned to Spyro. "You brought me here?" I wondered.

Spyro nodded. "Well… I couldn't let you die, now could I?" He answered with a smile.

I smiled back as I gazed into his eyes. I would've given him another nuzzle or perhaps a kiss on the cheek if I didn't feel so limp right now.

"We'll let you get some rest now, Cynder…" Ignitus said, signalling to Spyro and Sparx that it was time to leave.

Spyro gave Ignitus a look of disappointment. "But-"

"Cynder needs to get her strength back and she can't do that if she doesn't rest…" Ignitus interjected calmly.

Spyro went to open his mouth but ultimately closed it again, seeing no point in arguing with Ignitus. Spyro then lowered his head in disappointment. I knew how he felt, I was disappointed too but deep down we both knew that Ignitus was right.

"Hey… don't worry about me." I assured him, Spyro looking up to me when I spoke up. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

Spyro gave a small, sad nod. "Right, yeah… of course." He mumbled as he and Sparx began to follow Ignitus out the door. "I'll see ya later…"

Spyro hesitated for a second when he got to the door, glancing back at me for a brief minute or two before he headed out of the room. As he left, Nurse Braya came shuffling into the room. She didn't even acknowledge Spyro as he left, maybe she was just used to him in that type of mood every time he left. Who knows?

The Nurse made her way towards some machinery that was on my left. I'm guessing they were helping me to stay alive since they were connected to me. The Nurse then started to fiddle around with some of the wires and gazing at the machine screens every so often, checking to see if everything was okay.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend will be able to come back to visit tomorrow." Nurse Braya assured, leaning over to check my heartbeat with some strange metal cylinder.

My eyes widened, my face turning red. "Who? Spyro? H-he's not my boyfriend…" I said, slightly embarrassed.

Nurse Braya raised her eyebrow. "Really? Forgive me dearie but from young Spyro's actions during the past two weeks, I assumed you two were an item…"

"No, w-we're just friends."

The Nurse then wrapped the strange metal device around her neck and gave me a look, as if I was lying to her. "Friends, huh? From the way you were staring at him, I would suggest otherwise." She said.

My blush deepened. Ancestors, I wasn't being _that_ obvious was I?

Seeing that I wasn't denying it straight away, Nurse Braya merely smiled at me. "If you like him then maybe you should tell him…"

As Nurse Braya walked off to check on another patient that she had, I laid there in silence as I contemplated what the Nurse had said. Sure I could tell him but it wasn't exactly as easy as it sounds. There was still so much I don't know about Spyro yet and there was so much that Spyro doesn't know about me, not that there's much to know about me anyway.

I guess I need to think about this a little more…

**() **

Four weeks have passed, that was the amount of time I needed to regain my strength after waking up according to the Nurse. Four weeks wouldn't seem so bad if I wasn't so bored all the time. Every day, it was the same routine over and over again: wake up, eat, watch TV on the screen opposite me, eat again, rest, eat for the third time then go to sleep. It became really old very quickly.

But there were parts of my day that weren't _all _bad. Since I had no idea about anything in the Dragon Realms or had any education whatsoever besides fighting and the elements, all of the Guardians came in and tutored me for an hour or two every day. Well by all of the Guardians, I mean only two. Volteer would teach me how to read, write and do math. Reading and writing was fun and quite easy once you learn it, math… not so much.

Then there was Cyril, who was in charge of teaching me the history of the Dragon Realms. Ancestors, he was _so _boring. He would just ramble and ramble till the point that it became static in my head. After every lesson with Cyril, I'm on the point of exhaustion… mental exhaustion. I couldn't remember what he was talking about half the time since I would doze off then wake up a minute later and suddenly he was on another topic. Glad I don't have him tutoring me as much as Volteer does.

After tutoring comes my favourite part of the day, when Spyro comes to visit. Spyro usually comes in the afternoon after running errands for Ignitus and some of the Dragon Elders in the morning, errands that involve going to a different realm. Despite that, he's always on time. Not once has he been ever late. Makes me wonder if he has a time machine or not…

Spyro stays with me from the afternoon till the evening, sometimes later if Nurse Braya allows it. During this time, we would talk. He would tell me about his day and I'll tell him what I learned (or _how_ much I learned) from Volteer or Cyril. Sometimes he would bring a horror movie and we both lay in my bed to watch it. It's something that I'll always look forward to.

As much as I want to tell Spyro how I felt, I liked how our relationship is going at the moment. Every day, my friendship with him is growing stronger. I don't know if it was because both of us haven't had a friend before or maybe it was something more, I wasn't too sure.

"Why are you going in the sleeping bag?!" I heard Spyro shout at the dim-witted teenager that was being chased by the hockey mask-clad killer. "You know he's going to catch you!"

Today, Spyro brought the seventh installment of the _Slasher Camp _series since I haven't seen it yet. Back home, I only had the first four so it was a big surprise that there were more than four movies out there. I always thought they ended the series after the killer was repeatedly hit with a machete by some kid named Tommy. But boy, was I wrong. Spyro even told me that the _Slasher Camp_ series did a crossover with _A Nightmare at Dream Weavers_. I mean, how cool does that sound?!

Spyro then chuckled as the killer killed the teenager by bashing her against a tree while she was in the sleeping bag. "Never gets old…" He said to himself, a giant grin on his face.

Ancestors, he looks so cute when he's happy…

"Cynder, did you see that?" Spyro asked me, making me snap out of my daze.

I blinked, a deep blush on my cheeks. "Huh? Oh yes, very bloody…" I said, trying to sound like I was paying attention but failing miserably.

Spyro gave me a concerned look. "You ok?" He wondered. "Do you want me to get the Nurse?"

"No, it's not that…" I quickly answered, looking away from Spyro. "It's just… it's nothing really."

Spyro grabbed the remote for the TV and paused the movie. "No, it's not nothing. What's wrong?"

I looked back at him. "It's nothing… Just thinking about finally leaving this room." I lied. I hated lying to him but I couldn't exactly tell him the truth either, well not yet anyway. Now doesn't seem like the best time to tell him.

Spyro smiled, believing my lie. "Not long now. Tomorrow, in fact."

Wow, tomorrow? I never thought this day would come. I spent so long in this infirmary that I've felt like I was never going to leave. Tomorrow was when my life was going to start anew. No Malefor, no Gaul, just a life of peace and tranquility.

Starting from tomorrow, everything was going to change.

**() **

"Keep those eyes closed…" Spyro told me as he led me down a corridor.

"How much further is it, Spyro?" I wondered, my eyes still firmly closed.

"Not long now…" Spyro answered. It was about a minute until I felt Spyro stop in his tracks. "Okay, you can open your eyes now…"

And so I did. What stood in front of me was a standard wooden door. It looked very similar to the door that went into my old room but instead it was much cleaner and lacked any scratches from the Apes. The door didn't have any lock or doorknob either but, according to Spyro, that was because the Temple was well-guarded so locks weren't necessary.

"Welcome to your room." Spyro said as he sat on his haunches.

I reached my paw out to the door, hesitating as my claws were nearly touching the surface of the wood. I instinctively turned to Spyro, who gave me a reassuring gesture to tell me that it's okay to open it. Taking a deep breath, I rested my paw on the door and pushed it open.

As the light from the corridor slowly leaked into the room, I couldn't help but feel happiness in my heart. The room wasn't much, it was smaller than my room back in Malefor's fortress which I didn't mind at all. The floor was wooden much like the door, it felt so much nicer to walk on than the cold, bumpy stones that I was used to. One window was placed in the middle of the room, it was much larger and could carry more light in if the curtains weren't drawn. A bed was placed in the corner however it was much larger and more put together than my old bed. It had an actual frame rather than just having the mattress on the ground.

Next to the bed was a sturdy and basic desk around about the same height as the bed. To be honest, I wasn't so sure what to do with that. Finally, to the right of the room was a bookcase which was yet to be filled with any books.

"So… what do you think?" Spyro questioned as I stared at the room in front of me.

Only one answer came into mind. "I love it."

Spyro's eyes widened, oddly surprised by my response. "You do?"

"Of course I do!" I said, wrapping my paws around him in a tight embrace. "Thank you, thank you so much!" I exclaimed as I swung Spyro from side-to-side.

Spyro chuckled when I eventually released him, blinking a few times to regain his bearings. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. But that's not quite it yet..."

"Uh?" I gave him a blank look. What did he mean by that? Is this not my room? Then why did he show it to me then?

"Oh right…" Spyro muttered, realising that I had no idea what he was talking about. "What I mean is that I'm not finished showing you around yet…" He then clarified.

Wait, does that mean…?

Spyro gave me a smile and started to head down the corridor, his tail swishing at a face pace. "Come on, let me show you around the Artisan Valley."

**(SPYRO's POV) **

Exiting the Temple, I led Cynder into the main area of the Valley. The twin suns shone brightly in the sky, a light cool breeze flowing through the trees and the grass. Business was booming in the marketplaces, at least one or two dragons gazing over what to buy in each stall. It seems that every dragon in the Valley was here, now able to walk freely through the land now that Malefor and his forces were long gone.

Seeing that a lot of dragons were around, Cynder stopped in her tracks as a nervous expression grew on her face. I turned towards her when I noticed that she wasn't walking next to me.

"You ok?" I asked.

Cynder nodded, still visibly nervous as she started to wrap her wings around herself. "Y-Yeah… There's just…" She took a breath before continuing. "A _lot _of dragons here…" She muttered.

"Hey, don't worry… they won't bite." I assured her, slowly approaching her. "They're just normal dragons going about their day."

"But do they know about me?" She wondered. "You know, being the daughter of _you-know-who _and all?"

I shook my head. "Trust me, they don't. Only the Dragon Elders, the Guardians, Sparx and I know." I replied. "Ignitus thought it was best not to tell anyone so you could get a fresh start."

While Cynder slightly felt more at ease when I said that, I could tell that she was still a little uneasy about walking around a massive crowd especially when you consider that she's only lived with Malefor most of her life. I don't blame her, I wasn't exactly the biggest fan of crowds either.

Then an idea shot into my head. "Ok… how about we just walk around for a bit and if at any point you feel like you're not coping, we'll go straight back." I suggested calmly. "How does that sound?"

Cynder thought about this for a while, her eyes gazing around the Valley until she eventually nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good." She said.

I offered to drape my wing around Cynder, to which she happily accepted. I then led her into the markets. There were a few dragons that would gaze at the pair of us but they were more looks of gratitude rather than suspicion. That is certainly a change from before Malefor was defeated, I'm guessing they don't think of me as the next Dark Master anymore. I then looked towards Cynder, who still looked a little uncomfortable and tried to hide herself in my wing.

"Spyro… they're staring…" She hissed. Never have I seen her so nervous before, not even when she met the Guardians. I've seen her battle Apes, Gnorcs and Grublins yet the one thing that truly scared her was… fitting in.

"It's ok, Cynder. They're just happy to see us." I assured her. "We did save the realms after all."

"Still… I don't like it." Cynder said, her eyes darting all over the place.

I sighed. I knew that Cynder was going to be uneasy around the other dragons and I'll have to blame Malefor for her lack of social skills. I couldn't be annoyed or irritated if Cynder's not coping well because it wasn't her fault. This is exactly how I would react if I lived in a fortress all my life. But I've got to be patient and not put Cynder in a situation she wouldn't be comfortable in. Hence why I'm just taking her around the market instead of a party or something.

When I heard the faint sound of my stomach rumbling, I suddenly had an idea. I just hope Cynder goes along with it.

"Why don't we get something to eat?" I suggested. "Maybe that'll settle your nerves…"

Cynder's facial expression softened to a more calmer demeanour. "Sure, I can eat." She agreed. "Know any places?"

I smirked. "Oh, I know_ just_ the place."

**() **

Cynder and I walked away from the centre of the markets, crowds slowly started to die out the further we got. Cynder was beginning to feel more settled once she saw that there were less dragons around, which was a start I guess. We eventually came across Alvar's meat stall, which was the only stall in the market that didn't have a dragon nearby. Alvar was stocking up lamb on the stand when we arrived, having not noticed that we were standing opposite him.

I cleared my throat to get Alvar's attention. "Morning, Alvar!" I greeted him.

Alvar averted his gaze away from the meat and glanced down at Cynder and I, where he gave us both a welcoming smile. "Well, if it isn't the saviour of the realms!" He chuckled before taking notice of Cynder. "Oh and I see you brought a friend with you…"

"Alvar, this is Cynder." I introduced, gesturing to Cynder. "I'm just showing her around."

Alvar rubbed his chin in curiosity. "Cynder, ay? I could've sworn I heard that name before..." He said as he went deep into thought before he snapped his claws. "Oh yes, I remember! She's the girl that you li-"

"Like to watch horror movies with, you know it!" I immediately interjected, my face turning red. I then chuckled nervously before giving Alvar a death glare as Cynder gave me a strange look. Luckily Sparx was having an afternoon nap right now otherwise he would have taken the mick out of me for that sudden outburst.

"It's… um… nice to meet you, Alvar." Cynder spoke up nervously, slightly intimidated by Alvar.

"And it's nice to meet you too, Cynder." Alvar said with a smile. "How are you enjoying the Valley so far?"

"It certainly beats my old home, that's for sure…" Cynder replied, looking around at the trees behind Alvar. "At least here, the air's fresh and clean." She then commented, giving as little detail about Malefor's fortress as possible.

"The freshest in all of the realms!" Alvar said cheekily before resting one of his forelegs on the stall. "So what can I get you two?" He then wondered.

"Just two pieces of fish, thanks." I said as I reached out to grab a few Gems to pay Alvar… wait a minute…

My face instantly froze. Shit… Sparx usually carries the Gems with him and my stupid brain was thinking about Cynder too much to remember to take them with me. Urgh, what am I going to do?

Cynder saw that I was looking distressed and turned to me. "You alright, Spyro?" She asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"I left my Gems back in my room…" I grumbled, frowning at my own incompetence.

Alvar rolled his eyes. "No need for gems, what you've done for the realms is payment enough…" He said as he passed the fish to Cynder and I.

While Cynder snatched the fish instantly, I merely just stared guiltily at mine. That's the fifth time I've gotten something for free after defeating Malefor. I know that they were just thanking me for saving the realms but I couldn't just let them give stuff away to me for free. They have businesses to run, they could be poor for all I know! It just didn't seem right…

I sighed and reluctantly grabbed the fish with my maw, knowing that I couldn't refuse due to my lack of Gems. I then thanked Alvar and walked off with Cynder towards a tree nearby that was out of the way of any crowds and was nicely shaded, two things that both Cynder and I appreciated.

"Spyro, could you cook this please?" She asked me as we sat on our haunches.

"You know that you _can_ eat it raw, right?" I chuckled as I grabbed Cynder's fish, blasting each side of it with my fire element for a few seconds before passing it back to her.

"I know, I just… prefer it when you cook it." Cynder said, blushing slightly.

"Oh… am I your personal oven now?" I scoffed, pretending to be offended.

Cynder looked at me with a cheeky grin. "Oh yes, definitely."

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" I wondered in a mockingly tone as I took a bite from my fish. "Perhaps I could use your wind element to help cool me down…"

Cynder gave me a mischievous smirk before opening her maw slightly and releasing a gust of wind towards my face. The force of the cold breeze made me drop my fish from my mouth as my face froze in utter surprise, my eyes now blinking faster than usual.

"There. You feel cooled down now?" Cynder wondered in a 'serious but not serious' tone, a cheeky look on her face.

"You're funny, you know that?" I said sarcastically, my eyes narrowing.

Cynder took a bite from her fish. "And don't you be forgetting that, purple boy."

As soon as she turned away from me, my eyes immediately gazed at her tail where I hatched a troublesome plan. I grinned devilishly at the thought of what I was going to do. I discreetly opened my maw and shot a small jet of flame near Cynder's tailblade. As soon as the flame hit her tail, Cynder literally jumped from the sudden heat.

"Ow! Hey!" She exclaimed, glaring at me.

I stopped myself from completely cracking up with laughter. "Oh I'm sorry Cynder, there was a spider on your tail. Thought I get rid of it for you." I said, sounding as genuine as I could.

"Oh, you're asking for it now!" Cynder mockingly threatened, getting into a pouncing position.

Cynder then tackled me away from the tree and we began to playfully wrestle each other, rolling around on the grass and laughing while doing so. Thanks to her training with Malefor, Cynder always gained the upper hand in terms of pining me to the ground. I mean I could pin her down for at least two seconds on strength alone but even that wasn't a match for Cynder's skills.

Cynder was able to prove that by coiling her tail around my hind leg and flipping me around, holding my chest down with her forelegs. We both looked at each other, breathless from all the wrestling around. We then both blushed at the realisation of what position we're in as it mimicked the same position we were in during our time in Sunrise Spring.

"I win…" Cynder muttered.

I chuckled nervously. "O-Okay, you got me…"

As we stared into each other's eyes, I could hear some snickering in the distance. I mentally face-palmed, I knew _exactly _where that snickering was coming from.

I turned to see Eruptor and the Skylanders watching us from a suitable distance. Eruptor was the only one that was snickering while the other Skylanders just stood there, unsure whether to laugh as well or tell him to stop. When will Eruptor learn? Does the fact that I had enough of his nonsense not process in that small brain of his?!

I rolled my eyes and grumbled under my breath. "Oh great, the Skylanders…"

Cynder turned her head around to where I was looking and raised her eyebrow. "Who are they?" She asked.

"Those guys there." I replied, gesturing to the Skylanders. "They're part of a programme where you can learn skills to survive in the other realms as well as elemental skills if you were a dragon. They also stop the odd petty crime here and there."

"And I'm guessing you're not in it?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

Cynder looked confused as she got off me. "Why not? It sounds like something you would do…"

"It's not the programme that bothers me, it's who's in it that really chaps my scales." I murmured, getting up from the grass.

"Did you guys have a falling out or something?"

"No, I was never friends with them in the first place." I answered. "I _tried _to make friends with them when I was little but they just batted me away… all because of my stupid scales." I then mumbled angrily.

"Hey, your scales aren't stupid ok?" Cynder assured, placing her paw on top of mine. "They make you… well, _you_."

I smiled at Cynder's comment. I would've liked to tell her how I felt right then and there (despite already kissing her back in Warfang) but I was unable to as the Skylanders were making their way towards Cynder and I.

"Well, look what we got here…" Eruptor spoke up as he approached us.

"What do you want, Eruptor?" I questioned, sounding disinterested.

"Nothing, just here to ask you something…" Eruptor answered, looking as innocent as possible before looking over at Cynder. "What are you doing hanging out with _her_?"

Cynder glared at Eruptor when he emphasized the 'her' part. Why was he targeting Cynder all of a sudden? Can he just let me be happy for once in my life?

My eyes narrowed. "Who I hang out with is none of your concern…" I said, trying to keep my temper in check. "Just go away…"

Eruptor gave me a smug look. "Would it be my concern if I find out you were hanging out with the daughter of _Malefor_ of all creatures?"

I could see Cynder's eyes widen in astoundment with a hint of fear. I was surprised too, Ignitus clearly told me that Master Eon wasn't to be told about Cynder's true origins. Not that we didn't trust Master Eon or anything, we just couldn't let any of the Skylanders find out. Especially Eruptor.

"How did _you_ know that?" I wondered. "Master Eon wasn't supposed to know…"

"Well now he does, one of the Elders told him." Eruptor explained before snickering. "Guess he missed the memo…"

Cynder and I didn't respond, we were both clearly pissed off. One job, the Dragon Elder had one job. Don't tell Master Eon. Clearly he couldn't do that, could he?

Eruptor chuckled, satisfied with us not responding. "Do you know what's sad, Spyro?" He asked me. "The only friend you've got is a freak like you."

Cynder stepped in front of me, unfazed by Eruptor's insults. "Hey asshole, who are you calling a freak?" Cynder taunted. "Why don't you look in a mirror sometime?"

Both the Skylanders and I's eyes widened at Cynder's comeback. Jet-Vac was in the back holding his breath from all the tension while everyone else just looked just utterly surprised that someone _other _than me stood up to Eruptor.

Eruptor, meanwhile, wasn't as tense. In fact he looked really, _really _angry. If he had actual hands then they would be clenched into fists. "Wh-I?! _Why, you-!" _Eruptor spat, raising his club-like hand above Cynder.

Before Eruptor could do something to Cynder, I immediately stepped in between Cynder and Eruptor. My wings were spread so that Cynder was protected from any projectile attacks.

"Don't. Touch. Her." I muttered angrily. I then felt an anger rise through me, a similar feeling as I felt when Malefor stabbed Cynder, something that was buried deep down inside of me waiting to burst out. Was this the true power of the purple dragon that Malefor talked about?

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it, Lame-o?"

I scowled at Eruptor, nearly on the verge of growling as purple lightning started to flow all over my body. The Skylanders stepped back cautiously, confused to what was happening to me. Even Eruptor looked afraid… good, this'll teach him to mess with me!

Then all of a sudden, Cynder stepped in front of me. What was she doing!? I meant to be protecting her from these guys!

"Spyro? Spyro, look at me." She told me, looking as cautious as the rest of the Skylanders. "You need to calm down, okay?"

When she saw that I was still focused on the Skylanders, Cynder immediately grabbed onto my paws and that's when I looked at her. "Listen to me Spyro, they're not worth it…" She said, squeezing my paws. "Don't do this…"

As I looked into Cynder's eyes, I saw that they were full of fear and concern. Guilt soon flooded through my system. As much as I wanted to blast Eruptor with the power of the purple dragon, I knew deep down that Cynder was right. If Cynder had gotten in the way between Eruptor and I at the wrong time, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I couldn't bear to see her get hurt again.

I took a few deep breaths, the purple lightning around me slowly dying out as I calmed myself down. "You're right… I'm sorry, Cynder." I mumbled, my head looking down at the ground.

Seeing that I was a little upset, Cynder lifted my head with hers and nuzzled me in comfort. I instantly nuzzled, cheeks going red from the embarrassment of nuzzling Cynder in front of the Skylanders.

Eruptor scoffed, interrupting the moment between Cynder and I. "Well, isn't this _cute_?" He said in an insulting tone. "You two freaks deserve each other. Wait till I tell Ign-"

Before Eruptor could finish his sentence, he was hit in the back of the head with a glass object. A hideous smell soon filled the air as Eruptor stood still from the shock of being hit in the back. Eruptor's eyes started to twitch as the smell reached his nostrils before he collapsed on the ground, revealing that Pop Fizz had hit him with one of his potions.

"That's quite enough of that." Jet-Vac said, walking next to Pop Fizz and folding his arms disapprovingly.

Both Cynder and I's eyes widened at the fact that one of the Skylanders just turned against their own. Why now have they decided to act against Eruptor?

"What just happened?" Cynder asked. "Did you kill him?"

"Nah, just a sleeping potion." Pop Fizz answered. "Should be fine in a few hours… or a day maybe. But either way, it worked!"

"Why did you do that?" I wondered, confused about why the Skylanders knocked out Eruptor.

Stealth Elf sighed. "Spyro, look… we're sorry about Eruptor. We should've realised how much of being a jerk he was to you sooner. We'll make sure Master Eon knows what he's been doing." She assured me.

I nodded my head slowly, still not entirely convinced about Stealth Elf's apology. "Thanks." I said. I then turned to Cynder. "Come on, Cynder. We should go."

As Cynder and I turned to leave, I could hear Stealth Elf call out to us. I initially ignored it and continued walking until Stealth Elf teleported in front of us, stopping us in our tracks.

"Hey, wait up Spyro!" She exclaimed, sounding breathless as if she had been running even though she obviously hadn't. She then took a breath before continuing. "So the other Skylanders and I have been talking and we were wondering if you and Cynder would like to hang out at the clubhouse sometime? Now that Eruptor is out of the way." She offered.

I raised my eyebrow. Was I imagining this? Was the Skylanders actually asking me if they wanted to hang out with me? Something didn't seem right about this…

"Why are you asking me this now?" I asked in a suspicious tone.

"Simple. You saved the world, dude." Pop Fizz spoke up from behind me. "That makes you cool in our book!"

I suddenly went still, my eyes widening as the anger that I hoped to leave behind slowly returned. Now I know why they dropped Eruptor while they could, they just wanted to latch onto the next coolest creature they know like parasites. That cool creature apparently being me.

That's it. I've had enough!

I looked at Stealth Elf, completely offended. "Oh, so you guys _now _want to be my friend because I saved the world?" I said angrily.

"That's not what we were saying…" Stealth Elf said, trying to defuse the situation. However I wasn't having any of it.

"Really?! It sure sounds like it to me!" I snapped.

"Look, I know we've not been on the best of terms…"

"Eight years!" I interjected, not letting Stealth Elf finish what she was saying. "Eight years that I had to live through your bullying! Even if Eruptor was the ringleader, you guys did jackshit! You guys just stood there and laughed as Eruptor tormented me into tiny, little pieces!"

"We're sorry, Spyro…"

I scowled at Stealth Elf, a hint of a growl coming out of my mouth. "No you're not. If you were sorry then you would've dropped Eruptor years ago…" I spat.

I then brushed past Stealth Elf, who was having trouble coming up with a response, and stormed off in the direction that I was originally going before. Cynder trailed behind me, staying quiet in case I had a go at her but she understood what I was going through.

And I was staying quiet because I didn't want to hurt Cynder… especially with my newfound power.

Whatever my new power is, it's a complete mystery. When I used it against Malefor, it felt like I was someone else. Like all my negative emotions had come alive and completely taken over my mind. All my thoughts were just urging me to kill Malefor and take his place. I could remember bits and pieces of my battle with Malefor but I wasn't exactly in control of my body. When I eventually regained control, Malefor was already dead and I was the point of collapsing. I had barely enough strength to get Cynder back to the Valley but if I didn't do anything then Cynder would've died.

I told Ignitus about how I felt a couple of days later and he told me that I had unlocked the Aether element, the supposed element of the purple dragon. He also warned me that I should never use it as it takes a huge toll on my body, both physically and mentally.

I could see the fear in Cynder's eyes when I almost attacked Eruptor. She was afraid of me, they were _all _afraid of me. It scares me to think that this could've been what truly drove Malefor to evil. He was constantly rejected until he snapped and rejected the world. Is that what's going to happen to me?

"You okay, Spyro?" Cynder wondered as she walked next to me.

"I'm fine." I grumbled, clearly not sounding fine at all.

"You're obviously not fine." She said with concern in her voice, walking in front of me and sitting on her haunches. "Tell me what's wrong."

I didn't answer Cynder straight away as I also sat on my haunches, looking away from her as I struggled to answer. I didn't want to scare her more if I say I'm becoming like Malefor.

"Spyro, I can't help you if you won't talk to me." Cynder edged closer to me and placed her paw on top of mine once again. "Do you feel guilty about what you said to the Skylanders?" She then speculated.

I slowly shook my head. "No, it's about what happened before with the my Aether element. Everyone looked so_ afraid _of me." I explained. "_You _were afraid of me."

"I wasn't afraid of you." Cynder quickly denied. "I'm _worried _about you, I don't want you to do something you'll regret."

I looked down in sadness, tears welling up. "I just don't want to be like Malefor…" I muttered.

"You won't." Cynder assured me with a smile. "I'll make sure of it."

I smiled, Cynder's words making me feel better. Somehow she always knew what to say. "Thanks, Cynder. You're the best."

"I know." Cynder said smugly, leaning closer to me and giving me a surprise kiss on the cheek. "Just try not to worry about it, okay?"

I nodded in agreement, unable to talk from Cynder kissing me on the cheek. My cheeks went a deep red, which I was able to hide through my purple scales. There was something that I wanted to tell Cynder… well, not tell. More like asking her something.

I was going to ask her out on a date.

I've started planning this a few days after Cynder woke up since it wouldn't make sense to start planning something beforehand in the unlikely case that she died, lost her memory or other extreme possibilities that I didn't want to think about.

I didn't want to do the stereotypical first date and take her out for dinner. I knew that she wouldn't like being surrounded by the other dragons in the restaurant. I wanted a place where I could spend time with her but not have her pressured by any nosy dragons spying on her. That's when my mind immediately drew to the movies.

I don't go to the movies much myself due to the fact that I never have enough Gems to go. Ignitus would take me to the odd blockbuster here and there, the latest film in the Superhero Cinematic Universe being the most recent one. After I would finish my errands, I would head to the cinema on my way to the infirmary and see if there were any good movies on. Every day, there was nothing that would interest Cynder… unless she was interested in biopics or award-bait movies.

Then finally one movie came up: The reboot of the _Slasher Camp _series. I completely forgot that this was coming out due to the recent events that have transpired but from the looks of the trailers I've seen, it looked super cool. Once I saw _Slasher Camp _on the 'Now Showing' board, I immediately raced inside and bought two tickets. Luckily it was ages 13 and up otherwise everything I planned would've been up in smoke.

I took a deep breath and looked directly at Cynder, more than ready to ask her out. "Hey Cynder, could I ask you something?"

"Sure."

As buckets of sweat poured down my face, I struggled to get a sentence together. "Ok… uh…" I stammered. Come on Spyro, get it together. Just ask her! "S-so I've got two tickets to the new S-Slasher Camp movie a-and since Sparx isn't much of a fan, I was w-wondering if you…" I stuttered, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

Cynder tilted her head in curiosity. "If I what?"

I took a deep breath before answering. Unfortunately my answer came out much faster than I pictured in my head. "Iwaswonderingifyouwantedtocomeseethemoviewithme?!"

Unfortunately for me, Cynder looked at me in a confused way. "Huh? I didn't quite catch that, Spyro."

I gazed into her emerald eyes as I gulped and took a deep breath. Then I asked her again. "I was wondering if you wanted to come see the movie with me? Tonight?" I repeated, talking at a normal pace.

Cynder's expression changed from confused to that of utter surprise. She had that 'am-I-dreaming?' look on her face. At least she didn't blow this off as a friendly gesture. "S-Spyro, are you… _asking me out?_" Cynder enquired, making sure that she heard me right.

I squinted one of my eyes and slightly turned away, worried that Cynder was going to laugh or decline. "Y-Yes?"

"Like on a date?" Okay, so not an immediate no. Yet…

My eyes widened. "W-Well, It doesn't h-have to be if y-you don't w-want to. I-I just…" I stuttered, unable to finish my sentence as I looked away embarrassingly "Oh man." I muttered to myself. You blew it, Spyro, you absolutely blew it.

"I would love to, Spyro." I heard Cynder said, causing my already fast-beating heart to skip a few beats. Did she-? Did she just say yes?

I turned back towards her. "Really?"

Cynder nodded with a smile. "Really." She confirmed. "I would love to go to the movie with you, _especially_ if it's Slasher Camp."

I chuckled slightly in relief. "That's great…" I said awkwardly. "So, um… the movie starts at eight-thirty. So I could pick you up at around eight so we can walk down?"

"Sounds good." Cynder said. "I can't wait."

My heart, at this point, was doing complete summersaults. I actually asked somebody out on a date, I _actually _did it. Just a couple of months or so ago, I thought I would never get to this stage. In fact, I accepted it. But look at me now, I just asked the most beautiful dragoness I've ever seen on a date.

Oh ancestors, I asked Cynder out… _what am I going to do?! _

**() **

After I showed Cynder the rest of the Artisan Valley, she went to her room to rest up for our date. After she closed the door, I went into full panic mode and quickly retreated back into my room which was next door (which Cynder reacted with a laugh when she found out that we were neighbours).

I slammed the door behind me, breathing intensely as possible thoughts about my date with Cynder ending badly entered through my mind. I raced to Sparx, still in the middle of his nap, and lightly but frantically poked him in the abdomen.

"Sparx! Sparx, wake up! This is an emergency!" I exclaimed, possibly having a mental breakdown at this point.

Sparx's eyes shot open as he jumped from my sudden appearance and flew out of his hammock before I could poke him more, waving his limbs up and down to tell me to stop panicking.

"Woah, woah, Spyro! Calm down, what's the big deal?" Sparx wondered through a series of buzzes.

"I just asked Cynder out!" I almost shouted out, trying to be not too loud since Cynder was just next door to me.

Sparx looked at me with a fed up look, rolling his eyes. "Really? That's the emergency?"

My eyes widened. "Yes!" I said, my voice almost squeaking. "I asked her out and now I'm scared that I'm going to make a fool out of myself!"

"Spyro, you're already a fool." Sparx muttered.

"Gee, thanks." I said as I looked at him in annoyance, my eyes narrowing.

"What I mean is…" Sparx clarified. "Just be yourself. That's all she wants." Who knew that Sparx could give out useful advice despite the fact that he hasn't been on any dates either. Must be from watching all of Terrador's rom-coms.

"Be myself?" I thought out loud to myself, turning to Sparx with a slightly confident smile. "I think I can do that…"

"Good, just stick with that advice and Cynder will be in your bed in no time."

"Sparx!" I shouted angrily, blushing like crazy at what Sparx said.

"Kidding, kidding." Sparx chuckled, buzzes coming in frantically to simulate laughter. "But seriously dude. Just be yourself and you'll be fine. Oh, and have fun."

"I will." I said, going to my drawers and opening it up to find something to wear. I should make an effort to impress Cynder, right? Don't want her to be disappointed.

And I think I know just the thing…

**() **

It was about five past eight as I stood in front of Cynder's door, tugging the black bowtie that was around my neck nervously. I found the bowtie lodged deep in the back of one of my drawers, only having worn it once for a social gathering a few years ago that I didn't enjoy whatsoever. It just seemed more appropriate for this occasion, it was either that or a multi-coloured scarf that would've constantly tripped me up if I wore it.

I reached out my paw to knock on Cynder's door only to retract it back to the ground hesitantly. Come on, Spyro, what are you doing? Just knock on the door. There's no need to be nervous, you've asked Cynder out already. Actually _going _on said date should be a piece of cake… hopefully.

I took a deep breath and knocked on Cynder's door four times. There was silence for a second until I could hear Cynder's footsteps behind the door.

"Coming!" I could hear her voice call out. She sounded cheerful, that's usually a good sign.

After she said that, the door opened to reveal Cynder. As soon as I laid eyes on her, I couldn't look at anything else. Cynder seemed more cleaner as her scales slightly sparkled from the torchlight that illuminated the corridors. The white border around her symbols were whiter than ever before, as if they were never dirty in the first place.

Everything seemed unimportant compared to Cynder's beauty. I could've sworn that my jaw was hung loose when I saw her open the door. I couldn't even say hi to her, all that came out of my mouth was "uh, uh, uh…"

"Spyro?" She wondered, snapping her claws to get me out of my daze. "You okay there?"

"Y-Yes, sorry…" I nodded, blushing slightly. "It's just… you look beautiful."

Cynder was also blushing as she looked down towards the ground. "Thanks. You're looking handsome yourself." She said, looking up towards my bowtie and adjusting it slightly. "I like what you're wearing around your neck. Looks nice."

"Y-Yeah, it's cool. Bowties are cool." I blurted out, chuckling nervously afterwards. "So you ready for the movie?" I then asked her.

Cynder nodded. "Hell yeah, I am!" She exclaimed, excitement in her voice as she and I started to walk down the corridor. "Can't wait to see how creative Jason can get. I wonder what's he going to do? Will he just punch some guy's head off or will he use something like liquid nitrogen? That would be _so cool!_" She then rambled, clearly fangirling right now. I smiled at her fangirling, I've truly found the right dragoness for me.

Cynder saw that I was smiling and blushed, an awkward laugh coming out of her maw. "Sorry… got a bit too over excited there."

"Don't be sorry. I think you sound cute when you ramble like that." I complimented her, causing Cynder to blush even more.

"Well… I…" Cynder stammered as she tried to come up with a funny insult before she gave up. "Shut up." She then finally said, causing me to laugh.

So far, so good. Let's see how this date goes when we get to the cinema.

**() **

After the movie, Cynder and I spent the time walking back to the Temple talking about what we liked about it and what we didn't like about it. I could tell that Cynder really enjoyed it, she was grinning her maw off every time someone was being killed. I personally was more scared of this version of Jason rather than the original one but that didn't stop me from rooting for him rather than the potential victims.

Cynder and I eventually made it back to the Temple, we made sure that we were extra quiet in case we woke up any of the Dragon Elders or even the Guardians. I don't particularly want a grumpy Cyril telling us to be quiet and ruin one of the best nights of my life.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Spyro." Cynder said as we reached our rooms. "I really enjoyed it."

I smiled. "No problem. I enjoyed it as well."

There was an awkward silence between us. It wasn't because we didn't enjoy spending time together or anything, I think it was because we wanted to spend _more _time together. It was as if the date wasn't over. Maybe I should've planned to do something after the movie…

"Well… good night." Cynder muttered sadly as she went to open her door.

"Good night…" I whispered, feeling saddened that the date was over. Come on, Spyro… say something. Anything!

"Hey, did you want to come in for a bit?" I offered, gesturing to my room. "Night's still young…"

"What about Sparx?" Cynder wondered, turning towards me.

"Oh don't worry about him, he's a heavy sleeper." I replied.

"Well, alright then." Cynder said. "I suppose I can come in for a while."

I opened the door to my room and Cynder followed me inside. I was instantly shocked by the state my room was in with items of clothing that I tried on and pieces of rubbish scattered around the floor. I immediately started to grab some of the clothing and shoved them under my bed. Note to self, maybe clean up before you invite someone into your room.

"So this is your room?" Cynder queried as she looked around my room.

"Yep." I said as I popped my head out from under the bed. "Sorry about the mess, I don't usually have company over." I apologised quickly as I was frantically trying to make my room more presentable.

Cynder chuckled, smirking at me. "Don't worry about it, I've seen worse." She assured me.

As I continued to tidy up, Cynder made her way to my DVD and CD shelves. "Woah, you've got quite the collection of DVDs both big and small." She admired, looking up and down in curiosity. She bent down slightly to look at the small print on the CDs and started reading them out. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road… A Night at the Opera… Abbey Road. Odd titles for movies, don't you think?"

"Those aren't DVDs, Cynder. They're CDs, you listen to music on those." I pointed out, slightly amused by Cynder's mix up.

Cynder raised an eyebrow. "Music? What's that?"

My eyes widened. Oh yeah, I keep forgetting that Cynder isn't quite caught up on our culture yet. "It can be anything you can listen to really. It can be someone using their voice or just an instrument." I explained.

"I'll have to listen to them some time." She said before she turned and walked up to me. "Did you want some help tidying up?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No, no. I'm almost done."

Cynder rolled her eyes. "Spyro, you know you don't have to tidy up for my sake…"

"I know, I just want to." I said, looking down at the ground. "I don't want you thinking that I was a slob or anything."

Cynder sighed, placing her paw on my cheek. "You're many things, Spyro, and a slob is not of them. You're perfect just the way you are."

"Am I?" I questioned. "I have abilities unlike any dragon, I could _kill _someone if I lose my temper, not to mention that I'm socially awk-"

I was cut off by Cynder giving me a brief kiss on the lips, causing my eyes to widen and I immediately stopped talking. When Cynder and I separated, I stood there completely still with my face still a look of surprise.

"And… you _kissed _me."

"Sorry, that was probably too forward." Cynder apologised, looking down at the ground uncomfortably. "But as I recall, you kissed me first. Remember?"

I blushed as the memory of kissing Cynder before facing Malefor entered my mind. "Well, I… I thought I was gonna die. I couldn't leave without at least showing you how I felt..." I muttered.

I took a deep breath. This is it, no going back now. "Because I really, _really _like you."

Cynder looked back up into my eyes and smiled at me. "I really, _really _like you too."

I smiled back as we both lingered for another quick kiss, separating for a few seconds to stare at each other's eyes before going in for a much longer kiss. My heart started to beat at a fast but relaxing pace. It was the best feeling ever, even better than the kiss in Warfang since there was no danger to come. It was just Cynder and I, enjoying our moment together. Not even Sparx's snores could disturb us.

We separated from our kiss and leaned against each other's foreheads, both smiling at one another.

"So… are we-?" I started to ask.

"An item?" Cynder finished my question. "Looks like it." She answered.

"I love you." I murmured, finally saying the three words I had been wanting to say for quite a while. I know I said it as Cynder passed out but this time however, Cynder actually heard it.

"I love you too." Cynder murmured back.

Cynder almost pulled me into another kiss until Sparx made a loud snore as he shuffled around his hammock. His snores caused both Cynder and I to snap out of our romantic moment and dart our heads towards the source of the noise. Once we realised that it was Sparx, we both chuckled quietly amongst ourselves.

"Maybe I should go…" Cynder said. "Who knows what Sparx will think if he catches us."

"Aww, tired of me already?" I teased, giving Cynder a fake sad look.

Cynder smirked. "Ha, you wish purple boy!" She scoffed as she gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"I'll be here." I said with a smile. As much as I wanted to kiss her again, I resisted any temptation otherwise she'd never leave and Sparx wouldn't exactly wake up in the middle of the night and see us together.

"Good night, Spyro." Cynder said as she started to open the door.

"Night, Cynder." I said, sitting on my haunches and making a heart symbol with my paws which I gestured to Cynder to tell her that I love her without saying anything. Cynder saw this and gave me a cute little wave in response before closing the door behind her.

After Cynder left, a huge massive grin grew on my maw. A month ago, I was alone with no friends that weren't the Guardians, the Elders or Sparx. I didn't know who I truly was until now. Then I met Cynder, who by far is the best thing to ever happen to me. Sorry other moments in my life but Cynder's got you beat. Who knew that the dragoness that ran away to kill me so that she could impress her father would eventually become my girlfriend?

"_There goes my baby, she knows how to rock 'n' roll, she drives me crazy, she gives me hot and cold fever, then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat…_" I sang happily to myself as I climbed into bed.

I crawled into bed and gave one final look at my door before drifting off to sleep, thinking of the many adventures and mishaps my girlfriend and I will get up to. Hopefully it'll be for a very, very long time.

Love… it's a crazy little thing, isn't it?

**() **

**(3RD PERSON) **

Concurrent Skies. A dark, foreboding plan where hope goes to die. Sharp, powerful gems surround the place, the constant lightning storms making it grow in both mass and power. This place is home to the electric dragons, battling a never-ending war with Malefor's forces.

Nearby the old abandoned fortress was a cave made from icicles and other ice-related materials. Dead Apes, Gnorcs and Grublins surrounded the entrance but they were part of different parties at different times. All had one objective: hunt down whatever lived in that cave.

An ice dragoness emerged from inside the cave, her left wing mostly charred and burnt from the electrical storm. Besides from a few scratches, bruises and some dried blood on her body, she was mostly still alive and intact.

She looked up to the sky, the sun finally slightly peeping out of the clouds. She smiled at the mere sight of it, having not seen the sun in the 13 years she's been there.

It was as if hope had returned to her heart. Hope that her son had finally fulfilled his destiny.

**That's it. That's the end of the story. I actually finished a story for once! I hope you guys enjoyed this story, I know I certainly did. Again, thank you guys for reviewing, following and favoriting this story, it truly means a lot to me. And as I was writing this, I managed to get 10,000 views on this story. A big milestone for me, so thank you all! **

**I would like to make a couple of shout outs to IllusionMaster17 and SKdaGamer. Thank you to Illusion for reviewing every single chapter in this story! It means a lot to me. I would also like to thank SKda for helping me out with this chapter, thanks for the advice man. **

**Now I know there might be some people asking this so I'll answer it now. "Is there going to be a sequel?" The answer is yes but I haven't got a full story yet so don't expect it to come out for a while. Plus I got a few other stories I want to do first, like a Space AU Spyro story for example. **

**But next month, I do have a one shot planned for this universe. It'll be set three years in the future so look out for 'The One' in the Spyro archive soon. I also might be doing a one shot from a prompt on the Spyro Discord server I'm on. So be on the look for that as well. **

**This is TARDIS1039, hoping everyone is staying safe during the coronavirus pandemic. **_**Allons-y! **_


End file.
